Floaroma's Champion
by LowePlays
Summary: While out on a walk a boy from Floaroma finds a menacing beast. Using modern technology, he captures the monster. After it comes to accept the boy, both travel to become the best. For fame and fortune! Both strive to become the best, the Champion. But the path is not as easy as they might think... This story was inspired after MetalDargon's work in Sacrifice and Subjugation.
1. Battle for Dreams

**Well, this is something. I forget I liked writing so much because I'm an idiot and forget to save. A lot. But, now I'm back. I played about 70 hours of Pokemon Platinum and I decided to write a fanfiction on it. Seriously, this whole idea comes from a guy named MetalDargon and his story, Sacrifice and Subjugation.**

 **If you enjoy, leave a review!**

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I was born in the year 2049 and was raised in one of the more wealthy families of Floaroma Town. If there was a Wealthy Family. My family was like normal, I guess. My father, Joseph Lorano, was a successful business man. He was the Owner of a Berry and Apricorn farm, Lorano Fruits, a family business to be honest. I was raised to understand that we were to provide the means to battle, not to fight myself. Still, as a kid, the beasts of battle were everything in this world. True, I knew nothing of the world, but I did know what fame and prestige was. And it came at being the best at what you love.

I hated farming. Despised it with a passion. But the farming did offer an opportunity to learn more about Pokemon and what they prefer. I learned much while we watered, weeded, and cared for the plants day after day. It helped to have a father who didn't truly understand what they said meant for others. He told me which berries were the best to eat, which Pokemon would eat which berry, and much about which Apricorns made what.

It was surprising what a few hard Apricorns would do. After all, they are what we contain Pokemon within. They grew in different colors and shape. The different breeds worked better than others, while some were useless. He also told me that, with his help, he saved countless lives and, at the same time, claimed many. Still, he didn't talk about trainers much. He had no desires for his only young son to fall to a beast he believed to be a loyal and friendly pet.

While it was true that Joseph Lorano was once a famous Pokemon trainer, only losing twice in his gym battles, he'd lost two of his own Pokemon as well as suffered from a lost kidney. His scars held many stories of the dangers he'd faced. Instead, now he provides the means to catch more and assist in the care of trainers' partners. He loved the feral animals, tamed by us to do battle, and did what he could to help them all. So he said, at least.

It was my dream of becoming the best in town, to defeat every trainer here with my partners. It wasn't too difficult as the best most people had was a few bug or grass Pokemon. The fields around Floaroma only held a few Budew and Buizel. There were some Gastrodon in the river, as well as a few Magikarp and Goldeen, but the Fergus Ironworks usually drove the surrounding Pokemon away.

Sure, it was nice to have a few pretty flowers and berries galore, but there was no pleasure, no thrill. It was all I wanted, to find a Pokemon who wanted to be my partner. Together, this Pokemon and I would travel the whole region and beat every single gym. And then, I'd face the Champion and... and... I couldn't imagine that far. But I knew people from around the world will know me. I could just see it.

My family owned a few pets, loyal and true ones. We usually kept one or two out at a time, mainly out of concern for my father. He'd panic and get scared if too many Pokemon were around him, even his own. Most of the time is was our Herdier, a happy and playful dog. He was naturally loyal as he was raised from the egg. He wasn't one to fight, but he was a great pet to play with me, a small child. I'd met him as a Lillipup when I was eight and he was the first Pokemon I was allowed to be near without my parents.

Other than that, we had a Beautifly to help pollinate the berries in the spring. My mother's Staravia from her time as a trainer helped harvest berries in the summer and fall, and her Buizel helped with watering as well. Other than that, the Pokemon that helped us belonged to other trainers and hired workers. They were all nice to me, a kid, and sometimes talked to me. They gave me tips and tricks to become a trainer like them. If only my father knew what they said...

It was in my personal studies over the years that, over two hundred years ago, kids began their journey at the age of twelve, sometimes given a Pokemon by professors and parents for birthdays. It was almost unheard of today, a child going out with a Pokemon at the age of twelve. Pokemon were dangerous creatures, after all.

Still, with the advance of Civilization and Technology, the Pokemon of the land adapted to us, learning to better defend their homes and habitats, slowing down the expansion of industry. At the same time, there were Pokemon like Herdier that lived among us on a daily basis, being docile and tame. Though there were some, not many could be found in the wild as hostile and menacing as others.

There were some, like the Fire and the Dragon Pokemon, that caused much trouble for humans. There were some that burned down entire cities and ravaged villages, but the trainers that caught one was bound for power. Still, if you did not satisfy one with battle or destruction, it was most likely to return to the wild, more powerful than ever. It was these that were most difficult to train. Proof of what could happen was already on Mt. Coronet, where a mighty Haxorus lived at the peak.

As a result of their adapting to our technology, Pokemon have grown stronger and more ferocious. Even a ridiculous Bidoof... Well, maybe not. Better example of Shinx could easily become intimidating and powerful, using it's electric bite to kill a man with a single chomp. Many packs of Shinx, Luxio, and the leader Luxray roamed around the edges of Oreburg and Hearthhome.

With Pokemon stronger than before, schools began teaching basic Pokemon recognition, Poke Biology, and survival studies. They also taught how to handle Pokemon in a relation. Simple kindness, care, ect. Even how to throw a Poke Ball with accuracy. I mostly paid attention to these parts of class, hardly interested in becoming a business man. I just knew I loved Pokemon and the fame that came with it.

Despite my father's issues and my mother's fear, I still wanted to be a trainer. Perhaps it was the boring nature of the town, maybe it was me simply seeking thrill. All I knew was Pokemon and the power they possessed awed all who saw it. Even Magikarp, the most ridiculous fish ever, could become a mighty serpentine Garados to vaporize it's foes with draconic power. Still it was a mystery why it was not classified as a Dragon.

With the evolution of technology, this brought about advances in medicine and Pokemon Tools. The PokeDex was one of the best tools a Trainer could buy, as it did the recognition of a Pokemon for you, using a laser-guided scanner to read the Pokemon biology and give an accurate report of 99.72%. Of course, it could also be used to call, send emails, and use the internet as well. Some trainers even downloaded music or games to their Dex for the road.

Of course, since the increase of wild Pokemon strength, a test to see if you're adept enough to travel the wilderness of Sinnoh, held monthly in Jubilife city. It required a trainer to present their own caught Pokemon, as well as a certain level of control over them. Then there was a written test and a small wilderness survival studies exam. After that, you were given a license of a certified trainer. With that, you could get many benefits, such as free healthcare and housing at any Pokemon Center two days a week.

Only problem was the Pokemon. Even though I had the resources to make a whole stack of Poke balls surrounding the house, I had no expertise in preparing Apricorns or the technology to make the actual Poke ball work. They were simply sent to another company to be prepared and we were paid. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course, if I asked my parents to give me a Poke ball, they'd probably disown me. Maybe. If I said I wanted it to get my own pet, the most likely response would be, 'We have plenty of pets. Besides, you know your Father has issues around the scary Pokemon you like.' My father would definitely hate a Litwick or Ghastly, but where would a kid find one around here?

Though I didn't know how I would get a means of capturing a Pokemon, I knew how to find one. That wasn't too difficult. Going outside, you could easily see flocks of Pidove or Pidgey overhead. Wild Wurple, Caterpie, and Weedle could easily be found in the forest to the north. A few kids liked to catch Pachirisu, who would throw Seedot and Lum Berries are travelers who pass too close. Seriously, when a Pachirisu throws a Seedot the size of your hand, it's bound to hurt. Naughty or nice, people still made good use of their Electrical attacks.

In school, I was never in the top of my class due to my grades being less than desirable. I only passed in few certain classes, most of them related to Pokemon and Trainer skills. Still, based on those classes and skills, I was able to pass every year. I spent a lot of my spare time reading up on Pokemon and their strengths and weakness. Thus, I was able to pass with some of the highest marks of those subjects. When I started Middle school though, we were required to sign up for a club or sport. I chose to be in Judo, a fighting club for wilderness strength.

When I had time on the farm, after harvests, I'd take an Apricorn or two throw them at trees and targets made from random things. They were the approximate size of a Poke ball, being the main ingredient to make one, so I tried to practice my aim for when I could catch my own starter. By the time I gained a new belt in Judo, I was able to throw a Poke ball with about three inches of error. I was also able to beat a few of the lighter opponents in the club. I was sort of muscular from farming of berries and I also had experience in dishing a bit of punishment. Not that we exactly hit each other, but being able to throw the opponent over your shoulder was not something anyone could do.

When I turned thirteen, I was one of the older students in Judo. I helped teach the younger students while learning some of the advanced maneuvers. We constantly practiced the beginner moves to sharpen our moves, as the most basic of moves could defeat a master if used correctly. I didn't plan on staying in the class this long, but it was only a year away from the graduation. Once we reached the end of the year, I'd ask my parents. I would! Still, I knew how they react. My father still had problems around four or more Pokemon he knew. If I suddenly brought, say, a Dugtrio to close to him, he'd try and kill it.

My mother wasn't entirely against me going on an adventure, but she was concerned for my father. My father didn't want me to become like him, experience the same thing, the same trauma as him. It was understandable, but he was not me. This was something I was prepared for, using his stories and experience to teach me.

Over the year, I studied Pokemon of the surrounding areas. There weren't many strong Pokemon in the area, but Pokemon were only as strong as their trainer made them. A skilled trainer could win with difficult odds. There was a legend of a trainer in Kanto named Red who won against the Champion with a Pikachu. There were many legends of weaker Pokemon becoming great and powerful with trainers. Some might not be true, but some had to be. So, I was willing to take almost any Pokemon.

In Judo, I was able to get my Yellow belt and, though I wasn't the best, I was by far not the worst. It was my way of proving myself to both me and my parents. It was possible to survive and that I was strong. In school, my grades in Survival Studies and Pokemon Biology, as well as gym and fitness tests were above average. I was acceptable in Science and English while my other grades were rather... abysmal.

Hopefully, just maybe, my parents would see this as proof I was able to handle myself? Perhaps I could convince them to get my trainer registration or something, or if I had to, I'd find a way to raise 200 pokebucks. After all, how could my parents resist my registration when I already had a Pokemon?

But...

Who would I choose?

There were over five hundred I could choose from, but only a few species lived around here. I could choose a Starly or maybe a Budew. Both evolved into powerful Pokemon and weren't the worst to get. And a Budew would be a great way to show my training, as it would only evolve under great care. A Staraptor would make a great mode of transport as well as a powerful bird of prey.

Still, there were some other Pokemon I wanted. Pokemon who my parents would highly disagree of. Well, maybe most people would. Not many liked ghost Pokemon. Still, I liked them because of that. Even if I was involved with people, I didn't like them. People... It was simply my nature, I guess. With a ghost, no one would bother me.

Even if I wanted the fame, I knew it came at the cost of some comforts. But, once I was there, I knew I could handle it. Somehow, I knew it. This was my dream, after all.

.

With graduation right around the corner, my time to tell my parents of my dream was approaching fast. Nervous as I was, I knew this is what I had to do. There was no avoiding this. Every dream starts somewhere. This was just my first step. And I had to take it to start my journey.

At the same time, I was defying my parents wishes. I was leaving their comfortable home, their safety, for a life of combat and violence. They probably would disown me, but once I become a famous Pokemon trainer, they'd have no choice but to take me back. They couldn't just ignore their son who was know across the region.

It was sort of stressful, taking the last exams of school. Ever. These papers would be useless for a great Pokemon trainer, but the tests were still required. Day after day, the classes took tests for a week. After school, I helped harvest Sitrus, Oran, and Tamato berries. At dinner, I was unusually quiet and ran through conversations I could have with my parents about my dreams and goals.

"Jo, don't you think something is wrong with him? He's been quiet... distant for the past two weeks."

"Oh, don't you worry, Myra. These are his final exams. Without Judo, he probably just has no way to express his pent up emotions. This is the most stressful for a young man like him, you know?"

"Oh, like I don't know about it. Every month, remember?"

"Right, right..."

Then, the day before my graduation, the final test day, the worst happened. An ominous and cold wind blew from the north. Dark clouds covered the sky, making it the worst lighting to take an exam, even at noon. Luckily, it was Maths and I could care less about what grade I got. Still, with nothing to do for two hours sounding pretty boring, I drew random Pokemon around the pages. I did answer the ones I did know, but other than that, I just flunked the whole thing.

At the same time, the sky was not looking great. For a farmer like me, this was a bad sign.

By the time the test ended, it had started to rain and the down pour simply dropped buckets. The wind didn't help, constantly blowing water into your face no matter which way you turned. After a quick lunch, most ran for home. Some were scared to get their makeup wet.

Being a guy, I had no quarrels with the rain. The wind, however, was really annoying. It constantly blew my brown hair over my face. The cold and icy weather blowing down from Snowpoint chilled and soaked me to the bone.

Reaching home, I had trouble closing the door to our home. The wind made me use the muscles I'd built in Judo and training to block out the wind fighting me. After slamming the door closed, my mother came into the entry way.

"Oh, it is terrible out there. Your father is out trying to cover up the crops." She held out a clean towel and helped me remove my bag, which stuck to me and my wet clothes made it difficult to move.

"Shouldn't I go help? The crops are important to all of us. But father can't be out there by himself, can he?"

"We can't risk losing you. The weather will only get worse. This is a hurricane and we are to stay inside." A... Hurricane? We never had Hurricanes here. They only formed on the south coast. What could have caused this?

"Father can't do it alone. We'll lose everything if we don't help him! I'll-"

"No! Please!" My mother grabbed my arm and held me back from opening the door I'd just closed. "He'll be back soon. He'll be fine, but he should know a lost cause when he sees one."

"...Alright. Fine." As my mother dried off my hair and clothes, the door blasted open. In the doorframe was my father, his hair whipping around his head and he had a crazy and desperate look on his face. He rushed past me, not even seeing me in his crazy state. He was losing the biggest thing he'd ever made. His success and life was in those fields.

Jumping up, my mother chased my father down the hall. Taking the hint, I struggled to close the door again. It was a greater struggle than before, a clear sign that the weather was growing stronger.

"Calm down, Jo! It isn't worth your life! You can start over! We can make it without the crops!" I saw my father almost running from room to room, searching for something. He rummaged through cupboards, closets, and drawers.

"Not worth it? Those crops _are_ my life! They are the only thing that keeps us in this house and keeps us fed! I can't just give up those plants! Do you want to starve and live amongst the beasts and bugs of the forest?!" He was almost shaking, using his fear of Pokemon to protect his family. Admirable as it was, it was still pointless. If he were to die, he'd leave us to starve anyways. At least, mother would. She'd never accompany me into the forest, even with her Staravia.

"But your life, Joseph! Think of your son and wife!"

"I AM!" He was almost insane, desperate to protect his business. It was everything to him, even more important than the people in his own house.

"Just calm down! If we do lose everything, we can still replant the fields and wait the half year for them to grow. We still have the Greenhouse, right? And we can wait for February to grow more. It'll all work out. Just remember you have us. Nothing bad will happen as long as you have us." Collapsing in defeat, my father sat there with his head in his hands.

"You're right..."

That night, the entire shook from the force of the winds. Gales ripped up plants from their roots and flung them at the house. Water soaked the ground, making lakes of the ground. The cold air made snow and hail drop from the sky. Lightning flashed across the sky and thunder crashed and boomed in the distance. None of us slept much, but father laid on the couch against my mothers protests about his wet clothes. Morning brought with it no respite from the storm, but did allow the worst of it to pass; there wasn't much more to destroy.

We spent all day trying to keep father inside, convincing him to wait out the storm. The winds still howled and shook the house, but the winds no longer threw trees at it. Whatever trees that were left were either the strongest or the ones already buried. Still, just from looking out the window, not much was left. But the worst was when the Greenhouse finally had it.

Using a fallen tree, the winds smashed through the side of the glass building and lifted the entire structure before smashing the whole thing back down. Everything inside was lost, the windowed building in shards. That was the last straw for my father, who reached out the door against all attempts to stop him.

When he returned at nightfall, he only brought with him a few hard Apricorns and an armful of broken branches. By looking, they were mostly Oran berry branches. One even had a few unripe ones, green and hard. It was all my father could salvage of our ruined farm. That night, the storm subsided enough to be considered over. Rain still fell from the clouds overhead, but the gales no longer threatened to topple our house.

.

That didn't mean our problems were over. Far from it. By the morning, the winds dropped to a more mild gale. The rain fall slowed to a gloomy drizzle and the Hurricane Warning passed, allowing us to go outside. What we saw was worse than looking out from a window.

The fields were gone, a lake having covered the entire thing. A few toppled trees and bushes remained, but all were broken and bent. The berries we could find were frozen in the mid summer. I had to carry Herdier out to solid ground for him to relieve himself. We had to wade out with boots and still the water filled them quickly. The cold air and water made hypothermia a danger.

With the weather cleared, the graduation had been postponed until now. The other students filed in, wet and cold. In the separate changing rooms, we dressed in our Uniforms and caps. Several of the students didn't even show up, reluctant or afraid to go out. Some honestly didn't have warm enough clothes for weather like this.

Some teachers gave speeches, along with a few students. It was all very nice, but the room was empty of people and warmth. It was dark and quite a few rows were empty. Even my own parents did show up, too busy with their farm lands to show up. It was very understandable, and a few of the students gave their condolences for our luck. In reality, it was probably for the best, but I could hardly see it as such.

It was outraging that things had to go this way. My parents lived off those plants. But I also felt sad. These were lands I'd helped grow. I'd put hours and days into nurturing the new crops and keeping the old ones safe. Now, it was all gone.

Still, the ceremony passed without many interruptions and I was given my own Diploma at the end, 'qualifying me for the future,' they said. True, pieces of paper were worth something to the business world, but for me, it was almost worthless. As an award, it was alright. I was smart enough to survive until now, but being a trainer-in-progress I had no use for it.

After it all, I didn't really hang out to talk to anyone. It was more like me pushing through the crowd for the exit. Rushing home, I had my Uniform and Diploma in a waterproof bag. It might have been worthless, but I'd still worked for it. I wasn't going to just throw it away.

So, opening the door, I threw off my bag and cap of graduation. It was still cold and wet outside, but at least the rain stopped. The wind that did blow was more gentle than before. Still, the weather was bad for any farmer. I couldn't leave them now. But this was my dream. I had to tell them somehow. What would mother... father... What would they do? What would they say?

"Is that you? Are you home?" Mother came around the corner with a mop in hand. It was dirty and brown from constant work. She had a stressed look on her face.

"Yeah, where is father? Is he working on the fields, or..."

"Oh, Jo's been in and out here every ten minutes. I've only just finished mopping up the last of the mud." Going back to the kitchen, I heard splashing of the mop and I discarded my clothes as I went upstairs. In the shower, I washed off the stress of the graduation and the anger and sadness.

It was refreshing being under the flow of hot water. With my body cleaned after a shower, I dried with a towel and walked to my room. With a set of fresh clothes, I was refreshed and calm. Coming back down the stairs, the front door opened again and my father walked through. His clothes soaked, mud stuck to his pants and boots.

"Uh... Hey, Dad." I held up my hand. Trying to come up with the courage to tell him, he walked away. He hardly heard me, hardly caring about what I was talking about. Hanging my head, I tried to follow him, but he just moved erratically. He was so focused on saving what he could that he had no time for his recently graduated son. Stress and frustration was clear on his face, with lines and wrinkles across his face. He didn't even care when Herdier tried to get his attention by getting in front of him. He just went into a new room.

Clearly focused on something else, I decided I would tell mother first. She would break the news to him later...

"Mother?" I walked into the kitchen to find mother rinsing the dirtied mop. The water in the sink was already filthy, but mother was trying to get the mop clean anyways. So she was stressed as well...

"Oh, good you're here. Could you be a dear and mop up your father's mess while I get started on dinner? I have something special planned."

"Uh, sure. Just make sure you drain the sink first and wash your hands." Deciding it was the wrong time, I took the mop from her and turned on the tap and squeezed the tainted water off. I returned to the entry to clean up the brown boot marks and the trail of dirt and water. Walking backwards, Herdier thought this was a game. He leapt from side to side, nipping at the trail of clean water I left behind and the mop. No one had played with him in days, so he was full of energy.

"Herdier, please. I need to work. Stand back, alright?" Making a pitiful whining noise, Herdier retreated to the living room in defeat. He laid down at the base of the sofa, waiting for attention. Continuing to mop, I bumped into my father.

"Oh, hey. Good job." Without looking back or asking me anything, he opened the door again and stepped into the marsh that had become of our farm. Continuing to mop, I went through every room my father went through. After a time, I couldn't find any more puddles or mud. Returning to the kitchen, I saw mother cutting vegetables at three in the afternoon.

"Mom? You alright? You do know what time it is, right? I don't think it's time for dinner yet. Just, take it easy." Looking up from her work, she carried the half cut vegetables and swept them into a pot, rushed and stressed. She was busy trying to cook a stew. She was hardly conscious of the time, only of her duties.

"Don't worry, I'm sure your father will be alright with a meal about now. He hasn't eaten all day!" So... he's been working this whole time?

"So he's been like this since the moment he woke up? What has he been doing the whole time?" Giving up on the entire thing, I walked out of the kitchen. Walking into the living room, I saw Herdier lying on the sofa. When he saw me, he jumped up and got the look of excitement on his face.

"Well, I guess it's not today, huh? Maybe tomorrow, though." Patting his head, I clicked the remote and turned on the TV. Switching around the channels, I found one interesting.

"-And we believe the recent Hurricane was actually caused by an angered nest of dragons. There happened to be a camp of foolish trainers, we believe, who tried capturing a Hydreigon, but in anger the dragons retaliated with the move Hurricane. Let this be a lesson all the other trainers out there. If you are trying to capture a dangerous Pokemon, especially a Dragon, proceed with caution. These monsters could easily wipe out the entire Sinnoh region because of a foolish trainer and foolish decisions.

"In addition to that, we also found 17 bodies from the rampage these dragons are on, but it is believed that several others may have been killed. Though reports say they've retreated to the peak of Mt. Coronet, the trainers who tried to catch them have been killed. It was thanks to the Pokemon Rangers that the conditions didn't worsen further than they did." Reading the lines and looking at the pictures, I saw that the destruction affected many more towns and cities. Images showed collapsed bridges and buildings, as well as a few flooded roads and broken forests.

"Thank you, Darrel! This concluded our news report segment. Now, Patty? How's the Weather now?"

"Well, as you can see behind me..." Tuning out, I let the truth sink in. A dragon... did this? Just how powerful were they? True, there were legends of a Pokemon that, just with a flap of it's wings, a forty day storm could be brewed. But... A dragon did this? Just how powerful were they?

I heard something behind me move and I spun around to see my father there, shaking. "So it's one of _them_ that is responsible. I... I swear I won't it happen again!"

"Dad?" Turning away from me, he walked out of the room. In the kitchen, I could hear him discussing and slandering the Pokemon of the world. Even worse was his cursing of dragons. Though I knew not how many could learn how to create a storm, I knew it had to be from a dragon. But that did not make every dragon a horrible creature, trash, or simply a mistake. They were magnificent creatures to be revered and respected. It was the trainers, foolish enough to think they could contain their power, who were at fault.

It wasn't that I was entirely passive, though. Anger and pain ran through me. How could a Pokemon do something like this to us? Didn't they know they needed us to survive? We helped them become stronger, better than they could themselves. True, we test their strengths with others. We forced them to fight and injure, sometimes kill other Pokemon or people. But it was all to make them more powerful, right?

After an early dinner, my father went to bed. He was exhausted from today's labor, wading through water and raging about his lost fame and profits. His livelihood was taken from him not once but twice by Pokemon. Once as a Trainer and twice as a Farmer. It was all the fault of the Pokemon, or maybe just fate.

.

It took three weeks for the lake to drain from our fields. Many other farms and grasslands had become flooded and each could not drain while the soil already had as much water as it could take. The mud from the water still covered the paved roads and sidewalks all the way through the town. With Help Crews, sent by the public welfare, they tore down ruined buildings and handed out food and hygiene kits. Some had lost more than us, being homeless and jobless in a few cases.

In some cases, we were the among the luckiest of the storm. Being on the outskirts, the forest protected our house from the worst of it. Houses less than 500 meters from us collapsed from the sheer power of the winds. The people left out on the streets grouped together near the center of town or in parks. We had no way of dealing with this kind of situation as nothing ever happened here. The Hurricane was the most interesting this to happen in the past decade or so. Before I was born, they say a legendary Pokemon visited the fields of flowers here. Though only glimpses were seen, many artists were hired or inspired to draw, paint, sketch, or model whatever it was they saw. Some say it was a flying Pokemon, while others say it was a type of bushy land Pokemon, similar to a mini Torterra. It was also said to be the Pokemon called Shaymin.

Still, not a single sighting had been reported since then. Many passed it off as a simple Lotad or a small Turtwig close to evolution. Several rumors had passed around saying there was a blessing in the appearance of Shaymin. And now, perhaps this blessing had been lifted and allowed all the bad they deserved to come crashing down on them. Some believed it was because many had lost faith in their Arceus or Dialga. Many churches and legend-seekers revered the Legendary Pokemon as gods. Now, they struggled to pass their beliefs onto others and grow the power of their sect.

I didn't buy any of their bull. It was useless to rely on the blessings of a Pokemon few had ever seen. I could be called something of a Cause and Effect sort of guy. These acts behind the scenes beliefs in a single Pokemon just was unreasonable. It was true that Pokemon should be respected, but not treated as Idols. Otherwise, their trainers or captors could be seen as higher beings. Maybe it was true they did possess a higher caliber of power, but it did not make them rulers of time, space, and the universe. For that, they'd have to be immortal.

Even though the water was gone from the surface, the soil was still unworkable. The weather was already becoming colder with the change of seasons. Summer was cut short, with the Hurricane affecting the weather patterns, and trees growing brighter. Fall was around the corner, meaning any crops planted now would freeze and die long before they were strong enough.

My family was used to a more comfortable way of life. The workers that tended the crops were laid off, cutting deep into our savings. Without any way to plant more, the money lost was more than we could handle. With the last of our money, my father gave up on the fields. We moved into a new house closer to town, selling our lands back to the Floaroma Province. But this change didn't solve our problems either.

We still had no more income. Without cash flow, the quality of our meals and lifestyle dropped. We went from eating whatever my mother could come up with or restaurants to eating many more breads and vegetables.

As winter came, we had to use our heater more and more. With the cost of gas and fuel still higher than usual, the amount of cash we had was diminished once again. Taking it badly, my father turned to alcohol to solve his problems. With both the cost of booze and gas together, our funds dropped even further.

With my own skills, I was expected to already be a trainer or be enrolled in some college. However, believing that I was making the right choice, I decided to stay with my family. It would be heartless to leave now. But perhaps I could help save money if I did leave?

Instead, I got a part time job. I worked in the local grocery mart. I helped sort products from storage and carried heavy boxes as well. It was all I was really skilled enough to do, seeing as I failed Math to be a cashier. The salary wasn't great, but it did pay for my father's drinks and some of the other costs. Though I could have used the money for myself, it was used the moment I got it, transferred straight to my parents' account. Even if I wanted to spend it, I knew I couldn't.

.

Winter left us all a bit shaken and stressed, and my father drunk. He never talked at dinner anymore and usually just sat in front of the television with a bottle in his hand. By morning, he was found passed out somewhere with an empty bottle.

My job also got better, as I was quickly given a raise. It was more in pity than actual promotion. The manager quickly noticed my lack of funds, even with the pay currently being given. After an interrogation, I was given a small portion given to myself rather than put into the bank.

It really wasn't much, a fraction of what I earned, but it was more than enough. By the time I turned fifteen in Spring, I had over one thousand four hundred Pokedollars in my wallet. However, it was rather quickly that I had to withdraw from the job. As it was Spring, it was planting season. Using some of the money in the bank, my father decided to purchase a few species of Apricorn saplings, as well as a few Pecha and Sitrus berry bushes.

My father put everything into the grounds near our house, carefully watering the plants and never let a single blade of grass come up. His drinking problem hadn't evaporated, but it held less of a hold than we thought. He quickly sobered up when it came to his crops.

Tilling was simple for a Diglett or Dugtrio, but my father was determined to do it alone. Of course, I helped with what I could. While he was passed out drunk, I cared for the plants by spreading fertilizers and keeping Weedle away. My mother also trimmed the branches when needed to, but mostly cared for Father when he was drunk. Using her Buizel's store of water, she also watered what my father couldn't. It was obvious she loved her Pokemon, having no problem commanding them.

By the time the warm ending of Spring came, the budding flowers came out and showed signs of bearing unripened Pecha berries. The Sitrus bushes, however well tended, would bear fruit by the end of Summer. The Apricorns would be ready faster, some already showing the small and unripened fruits.

Taking great care, we picked the fragile Pecha berries. It wasn't a berry we were used to growing, but the bushes were cheaper than most others as well as a local specialty. However, due to their hollow innards, the berry was often crushed before coming loose from the bush. Still, they were very useful for trainers passing through before they entered the forest.

As the Apricorns developed, I began to feel distracted. Already unhappy with how things were going, despite the recovering business, I decided now was the time. It had been an entire year of work and now I was ready. But, what could I do? How would I ask my parents to pay for a dream they feared?

I took to taking walks near the forest with Herdier. It was useful for clearing my head, but it also gave me a chance to scout out for Pokemon. Even if I didn't have any way of capturing one, I still wanted to find the perfect partner.

Of course, I knew most of what I could find. I saw several Budew and Buizel, but there was the Starly and Pidgey that flew about. In town, a few flocks of Pidove could be found. I also saw Burmy and Wurmple, as well as a few Weedle and Caterpie. Most were maturing towards evolution as they'd hatched in spring. I'd already seen enough of them around our plants to know I didn't want one.

It was uneventful today. Not many Pokemon were about and Herdier was always racing ahead to bark at the Pachirisu that threw their Lum berries at him. Though it was cute for them to throw berries, when they used their electric sacs in their cheeks... Ouch.

We walked further today, Herdier always running further ahead. Then, taking a sudden turn, Herdier raced into the forest. Knowing I wasn't supposed to go inside, I still ran after our dog. With the wreckage of plants and bushes around, I had little trouble finding where he went.

After running until my lungs hurt and stitches in my sides, I came to a cave. Herdier was at the mouth, growling at something inside.

"What is it, boy? You find something?" Looking to where Herdier was growling, I saw movement amongst the shadows. "Is that... a Pokemon?" Starting to bark, the movement started to recede.

However, in a sudden rush, the Pokemon in the cave rushed out and tackled Herdier. Herdier was pushed off his feet and landed a few feet back.

"Herdier! Are you alright?" Rolling over onto his feet, Herdier stood up and started growling again. With a snap of his jaws and a leap forward, the faithful dog latched onto the new Pokemon. Now restrained, I got a good look at it. It was a quadruped, with dark fur covering it's front torso, neck, and face. I also noticed several bruises on it's sides. It was a Deino.

Though I didn't know much about them, I knew Deino were strong. Still, this one looked small and injured. Could Herdier fight it? Could I capture it? Maybe... Just maybe this one would be the one?

Calling to my dog, I gave it commands to fight for the first time. "Herdier, body slam it! Be careful!" Using his larger size, Herdier tackled the Deino by jumping on it. But the Deino simply pushed the larger dog off it's back, biting him in the process. "Herdier!"

Retaliating, Herdier rammed his head into the Deino's chest. With the force of the impact, the Deino was pushed onto it's back. With a barring of it's teeth, ice flakes started to form in it's mouth. Dropping the icy fangs into the Deino's side, it screamed in a high-pitched cry. A fear washed over me with the screech, causing me to back up. Tripping, I ended up on my butt.

Turning it's head towards me, the Deino got back up, this time towards me. It was going off sounds then. Looking at it's fur, I realized it couldn't see. Suddenly, I saw a blue and red ball of energy forming in it's maw. And it was aimed at me.

Recovering from his head on attack, Herdier bit into the smaller Deino. Yelping, the attack was launched into a nearby tree. Spinning around, the Deino bit back. Leaping back, the fangs of the little cave dweller missed Herdier by centimeters. Ramming into the Deino again, Herdier was met with a bowed head. Crashing together, both staggered away from the hit.

It was Deino that recovered first, building another ball of energy in it's mouth. With Herdier unable to stand correctly, the Deino had an easy time aiming the attack. In a bright explosion, I saw Herdier hit with the ball of energy. "Herdier," I called to it. Looking back at the Deino, I saw it fleeing back into the cave. So it wasn't so injured after all.

My ears ringing from the explosion, I rushed to my dog. He was lying on the grass next to a tree not far from the blast. His fur was charred in places and he was unconscious. Groaning, I remembered how far away from town I really was. Picking up my valiant Pokemon and struggled as I walked away from the forest and cave. Not even having a Poke ball on me, I realized it was pointless anyways.

.

My parents were outraged as a Gyarados when I got home. I could hardly explain what happened while they were shouting at me.

"I can't believe how irresponsible you were, taking our pet into a fight! You know he isn't fit for that! What would you have done if he, or worse you, were killed?!" My mother dragged me to the Pokemon Center, Herdier in his Poke ball. "I mean, I know those Pachirisu are tricky, but I never expected them to be this powerful..."

Checking the display built into the Poke ball, I saw Herdier at 12% health. It also showed he had a broken foreleg. Still, I remember the battle hazily. It was scary, but I remember Herdier protecting me, hardly any commands given. He knew what he was doing, what I wanted to do.

"You do know the dangers of Pokemon Battling, right?" Mother looked at me, a worried look on her face. She tried masking it with anger, but I did see it. "...Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, but Mom-"

"I don't want to hear it. We're here anyways." Looking up, I saw the red sign above the hospital. A large spinning Poke ball announced the Pokemon center. Walking through the sliding glass door, I saw a male nurse behind the counter. With the recent disputes about female-only positions, the long line of Nurse Joy girls was broken by Nurse Johns and/or Nurse Kuros.

"Hello, Miss? What can I do for you? My name is Nurse Kuro, so don't hesitate to ask!" The young man behind the counter had a wide smile, showing his experience.

"Yes, our Herdier was injured in battle. Could you heal him back to full health?"

"Sure thing! Just present your Pokemon and your Trainer license?" Putting the Poke ball on the counter, Nurse Kuro waited for us to present any identification. "It seems you don't have a trainer's license. I'm afraid the fee of healing your Pokemon will be 50 Poke dollars. We will have your Pokemon healed right up." Taking to Poke ball, Nurse Kuro started to walk away. Suddenly remembering something, Nurse Kuro spun around. "Oh, and your Pokemon should be ready tonight, but you can come back tomorrow if that suits you."

"Thank you very much, Nurse Kuro. We'll be by after dinner, so around eight or nine. Is that alright?"

"Sure. But remember; Free healthcare if you have a Trainer License. So, perhaps your son there could get one next time, so you don't have to pay for his expenses?" With a twitch of her smile, she nodded before pushing me towards the exit.

"Mom, I have to tell you something. It's important." We walked through the glass doors and out into the sunlight again. As the door closed, she turned to me but still kept walking.

"What is it?" Inside, I felt she knew what I was about to say.

"I... I want to become a Pokemon trainer. I don't want to be mean or rude, or even sound like I'm ignorant. But I really want to be a trainer. I've researched them all my life, I've practiced, and I know what to do in the wild. I-" Her hand stopped me from proceeding.

"I've known for a while. It's hard to, you know, miss all your books. But I thought you'd give it up. JoJo won't accept this, I'm sure you're aware. But... I can't help it. I want you to stay here." With a look of sadness crossed her face, as well as my own. Anger was building, and I was about to open my mouth when she asked me a question.

"Do you really want to do this?" I was shocked almost speechless.

"Y-yeah. I really do. I know the rules of becoming a trainer, the test, even the Pokemon I want to catch."

"Aright. I guess we'll have to do something about that, won't we? C'mon. Let's go to the PokeMart." Swirls of emotions, happiness and shock, fear and anticipation, even surprise, flooded my head. I wasn't sure what made my mother take my side so easily, but I had a feeling it had something to do with her own trainer days.

When we arrived at the PokeMart, I quickly and easily recognized the blue roof and signs. It also helped that 'PokeMart' was written on the building. Walking through the door, I saw shelves of Pokemon-related goods. Potions, Poke balls, and things I didn't recognize. I'd never been able to actually appreciate the stock of items displayed before me.

"Now, you'll need a few Poke balls and perhaps a few Potions?" Grabbing what she saw, she mumbled under her breath about how my father would react. I looked at the marble-sized Poke balls, ten times smaller than the Apricorns they were made from. I wondered how they were made that small when my mother grabbed my arm. She dragged me out of the store before I demanded everything they had.

"Okay. Here are your supplies. Two potions, four Poke balls, and Chansey Egg Extract. Just in case you get hurt yourself. Please... don't tell your father, okay? And take Staravia, too. When you find which Pokemon you want, use the Poke balls and Staravia to catch it, alright?" Nodding, I put the supplies into my pockets. Almost in reverence, I was given a worn Poke ball, a few scrapes over it's waxy finish. Promising to keep it, and Staravia safe, I tucked it inside my pocket as well. Together, we walked back home as the sun crept towards the horizon.

.

When we got home, father lectured me on the dangers of Pokemon. He was practically shouting at me until dinner was ready and I went up to my room to clean up; I was still wearing the clothes I wore into the forest. While I was in my room, I stashed the supplies under my bed. It was something I couldn't let father see, after all.

As I walked into the Dining room, I saw we had Pidgey and rice for dinner. It was probably the most expensive thing we had since my birthday. What occasion was it?

"And now, Mr. Birthday man? What do you wish for?" Looking at my father, I remember it was his birthday, July 12th. How could I have forgotten?

"I wish for us all to be safe and happy. I don't know what I would do without you two in my life. I mean, after my sister and my own Pokemon..." He hung his head as he started to remember the past. Glancing at the bottle near him, I expected him to take a swig of it. I preemptively wrinkled my nose at the sight of the alcohol.

"Now, now. Jo, you know what happened was an accident. That won't happen to any of us as long as you remember who you are. Stay in the Present and plan for the Future. To another, a better year." Raising her glass, mother toasted my father's birthday.

Raising my own glass, I repeated the last part of the toast. I hoped it would be a better year, for them and for me. My father smiled at the toast and repeated the line. Then we drained our glasses and dug into the meal. We told stories of the better parts of the past and also of the future of the farm, seeing as it was on the rise again.

None of us mentioned the horrible things, the worst of our lives, but instead decided to thank Arceus for our good luck. Being half-hearted and uninterested in the alcohol, I decided to go upstairs.

"Where're you goin'?" My father had a drunken slur and a goofy smile.

"I'm, uh, a bit tired. It is getting late, you know?"

"Oh, right," My mother said. "Remember, it's getting to be nine." Remembering Herdier, we had said we would be back around eight or nine. Standing up from the table, mother grabbed her purse from the entrance. Nodding, I also went to the front to put on my shoes.

"Wha's goin' on?"

"Don't worry. I just have a... an appointment." It was hard to lie to him, even if he was drunk. Still I think him being in this state was the only reason I was allowed to leave. I grabbed my hoodie.

"Don' stay out too long. 'Kay? Be a good kiddy."

"Right. Thanks, Dad. Happy Birthday." I turned to mother, who handed me a fifty bill. Smiling at her, I mouth 'Thank you' to her before heading out into the darkness.

.

Finding my way through the darkened town was easy. It was at night that made me feel alive. True, I had a fear at what could be lurking in the dark, but it didn't stop me from being unhappy for what I had. The freedom to go on an adventure!

Walking through the sliding doors, I saw a new Nurse at the front desk. Her young face looked to hardly be older than my own, but she also looked calm. Too calm, because she was sleeping on the desk.

"Um, excuse me, Nurse Joy?" I poked the girl in the arm. With a shout, she smacked me in the face as she stood up.

"I'm terribly sorry, Sir! I didn't mean to, Sir! Forgive me!" Her small voice made her seem too inexperienced at this job, easily telling me she was new.

"It's fine," I replied, rubbing my face. I could feel the big red mark forming on my cheek.

"Oh, are you alright? I'm terribly sorry. I just have been recently put on the night shift, so I'm not really adjusted to staying up every night..." She looked around. Seeing as I was the only one with her, she softened her sharp posture and sighed in relief. "So... What can I do for you, Mr..."

"I'm here to pick up a Herdier?"

"Oh, okay. Let me see..." Looking at her monitor, she looked close to dozing off again. She typed in a few things and rubbed her eyes. "Ahh. I think I found it. But you aren't a Mrs. Lorano."

"No, I'm her son. She, uh, sent me to pick him up."

"Right, well I can't give you another person's Pokemon without some sort of proof. Sorry kid."

"Wait! I still have a student ID." Pulling out my wallet, I showed the girl my name.

"Okay, I think this should do. I hope you don't get me in trouble." Going into the back, the girl retrieved a Pokeball and handed it to me. "Wait, you don't happen to have a Trainer ID or License, do you?"

"Um, not yet. Sorry, but here is the fifty Poke dollars." Pulling out the money, she stopped me.

"I can tell you're a new trainer. I know what it's like to start out. If you keep it a secret between us, I'll give you this one time for free." She winked, but I still turned out my pockets.

"Well, I know you're trying to be nice, but could I save that favor for later?" Raising her eyebrow, she seemed to understand.

"Hmm... I mean, I do have a boyfriend, so I don't know if I could do that-"

"That isn't what I meant! I'm just planning to catch a Pokemon of my own, so I want to get the treatment free next time..." With a laugh, she handed over Herdier, who I released next to me. With a playful bark, he started to lick my hand. I put the fifty on the counter and was about to leave when a hand caught my shoulder.

"Wait! Take this. When I'm on duty, I'll give you that favor. If I'm not, call me on this number and I'll take care of it." Smiling, she yawned and rubbed her eye. She looked cute... Remembering she had a guy already, I settled for thanking her and called to Herdier. I tried to contain it as long as I could, but I only made it to the corner before shouting my success!

.

The next day, I spent it in front of the wiki page for Pokemon. Looking at stuff like the test requirements, I decided I had it in the bag. Except for the last thing. Luckily, I knew I would solve the problem soon. The requirement was this;

"The Trainer must demonstrate aptitude in handling his/her captured Pokemon. Display must be with own Pokemon."

I was already set on catching that Deino, so soon I would have the second half covered. The former part, however, would prove difficult. While reading about it, I found out what kind of Pokemon I was dealing with. Though I knew what a Deino looked like, I was clueless what it was.

I was trying to catch a Dragon.

I remember the Hurricane from a year ago, and what caused it. It was as far as I could go with accepting the beast the was in that cave. Any further, I'd have given up on the Deino entirely. Still, their power was enticing. A dragon could easily wipe Mt. Coronet off the continent, yet they controlled it enough that it still stands.

It was until my mother brought me dinner that I read about Pokemon, tests, dragons, and food. As such, I found out my skills would have to extend to hunting as Deino were carnivores. Even if Herdier was as well, we had specialized food for him. The other Pokemon found their food amongst the wilderness.

With only Poke balls, I knew there was a chance for the Deino to escape. Mother had agreed to lend me Staravia, but even then, there was that attack it got Herdier with... I couldn't risk Staravia like I had with my dog. At least the Deino couldn't leave the ground for long...

Once I was given food, I had to quickly switch to a separate tab, keeping mother from knowing what I was planning. She still thought it was Pachirisu that caused the damage to Herdier. What other Pokemon around here could cause burns like those? If she knew what caused it, she would confiscate the Poke balls she gave me.

After being dragged downstairs to wash my dishes, I was stopped by my father.

"Hey, kid. How's it going? You've been upstairs all day. Are you alright?" He was sitting in the Parlor, and for once, he was without his bottle.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine. I was just studying."

"Ah! That's a good kid! At least you know what's best for you. Well, I guess I won't stop you, but just keep in mind that you could hurt yourself if you try too hard."

"Thanks, Dad." Heading back upstairs, I had an idea for what to 'study'. Once I became an official trainer, I'd need a PokeDex as well as a few other wilderness survival items. Signing back into the computer, I searched up the prices for my items. What I found made my pockets hurt.

Looking at the PokeDex, I saw the prices were ranging from 100 to 300 Poke dollars. With the Pokemon trainer exam costing 200 Poke dollars, I did not have to much to spare. And don't even get started on the survival gear. A tent would be insane, but a weapon would cost more. It would be a while before I would be able afford them.

Getting tired, I found the time to be past ten. I'd been researching for almost three hours... Rubbing my eyes, I stumbled out of my room and into the bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I sleepily walked to my bed. It took only a few minutes for me to fall asleep...

. . .

 _The world was dark and grey, depressing and dull._

 _So many people were crying and sad._

 _Then, in the distance, a bright ball of light rose above the horizon. As the glow faded, a flying beast flew over the town. As it flew back towards the opposite horizon, the outline of a human rider could be seen._

 _As the flying creature reached the line between dawn and dusk, a flash issued from the horizon. The brightness spread from the sky to the ground, bringing light to the people and lifting their mood. It was until the light reached my perspective that the dream ended, engulfing my vision in light..._

 _. . ._

I opened my eyes to the sun peeking through the window and into my eyes. Rubbing my eyes, I rolled out of bed. Remembering what I researched, I grabbed my bag from underneath my bed. I'd already put the Poke balls and medicine inside yesterday, prepared to go out any day.

Changing my clothes from yesterday, I shouldered the bag and went down stairs. Calling for Herdier, I opened the front door and stepped through. Rather than being a normal human, I jumped with Herdier down the steps to our door and raced with him towards the forest.

It was about the time I reached the edge of town that I realized I should have eaten. It might have been just inside the forest, but I was hungry. Still, I refused to go back unless I had a filled Poke ball or two. And one of them better be a Deino.

Following the path I took days before, I noticed Herdier start to get anxious. He remembered the fight that left him defeated and injured. I stopped and knelt down in front of him.

"Don't worry, Bud. We won't lose that easily this time. Besides, we have Staravia with us." I held up the Poke ball my mother gave to me. In response, Herdier licked my face and tackled me. Laughing, I wrestled with Herdier for a few minutes before getting up. Right. First priority would be capturing that Deino. Apologizing to Herdier, we set off again down the path again.

As we got nearer to the turn, Herdier started sniffing the air. I laid a hand on his dark fur, cautious of his burned side. Looking side to side, I was trying to see what my friend could smell. With a bark, Herdier bounded into the forest again. This time, I didn't hesitate, but followed with certain faith that my loyal dog would lead me to my future partner.

It was difficult to follow Herdier, who's smaller body didn't have to deal with sharp branches or small Joltik webs. I could tell we were going the most difficult path, but if Herdier already smelled the Deino, we were bound to be close. Pushing past a branch, I let it snap back behind me. With a bark ahead, I could tell we'd arrived.

As I burst into the clearing, I was met with Herdier's tackle as a ball of dragon energy flew over my head and smash over a tree, lighting it ablaze. With a pat on Herdier's head, I looked to the Deino standing their. The blind dragon stood there, right at the mouth of the cavern. We'd found you.

Since neither of us moved, the Deino could not see us. Rather, couldn't sense us as it was blind. Sneaking a hand into my pocket, I removed the used Poke ball given to me by mother. Pressing the button, Staravia was released into the air.

With a cry, the bird took to soaring around the clearing. With the appearance of a third enemy, the Deino retreated slightly. In a defensive manner, the Deino let out a scream, sounding like a high-pitched shriek. A ripple of fear coursed through me as I heard it.

"Staravia! Aerial Ace! Attack the Deino and stay away from it." With a roll of the eyes, the bird dove on the Dragon before raking it's claws across it. The force of the attack was much more powerful than the blind Deino, knocking it to the side. Luckily, the dragon had a one track mind. With the Staravia calling the most attention through sound and damage, the Deino focused solely on it.

Using the opening, I withdrew one of the four Poke balls. Once marble-sized, I expanded it to be the size of a ripe Apricorn and activated it. Throwing with skill, the ball hit the Deino while his head was turned. Exploding into a flash of red and white, the Pokemon was digitized and pulled inside.

However, as soon as the ball hit the ground, it split apart, revealing an angered Deino. With a growling noise, the Deino focused on reading our movements. With Staravia in the air and flapping it's wings, it somewhat masked our positions, but obviously revealed Staravia.

Using it to it's advantage, the Deino spun around and started charging up another Dragon blast. "Staravia!" As the ranged attack was released, Staravia dove towards the dark dragon. With aerial superiority, Staravia had no problem dodging the attack. In a counter attack, the bird dug it's claws into the back of the dragon. With powerful strokes of it's wings, Staravia lifted the Deino of the forest floor and brought it into a bird's domain.

With two sets of claws in it's back and digging sharply into it, Deino had no problem knowing where to find Staravia. Turning it's head, the dragon bit into the bird. In reaction, Staravia dropped Deino the ten feet they'd climbed, thanks to Deino's weight.

Crashing back to earth, Deino was helpless as it fell. In it's own panic, it managed to spin around to land directly on it's rear legs and land in relative safety. It would suck for your starter to die before you caught it. As Staravia made another pass, a wave of leaves from the ground and surrounding trees followed, crashing into Deino shortly after pulling up. With multiple cuts, Deino struggled to rise and showing signs of true danger and defeat.

Deciding it was time, I threw my second Poke ball at it. With another flash of light, the Poke ball swallowed the Deino. It fell to the ground and a red ring could be shown around the button in the center. As I watched, it slowly turned to green. About halfway through the circle, the ball split apart again and I had to hold Herdier back before it killed the Dragon.

The same could not be said about Staravia. Starting another dive, I saw as it preformed another Aerial Ace attack. Trying to dodge, Deino leapt right in front of Staravia, tripping it as it flew into Deino. Landing in a heap, I saw the Deino swivel towards the fallen bird.

"Staravia! C'mon, get up! We aren't done yet!" I looked in horror as, at point blank, the Deino was charging up another ball of draconic power. Without holding him back, Herdier raced forward and tackled the Deino, half a second before the blast caught him in the leg. It was only a glancing blow, but I saw the force of the blast bend the limb in an unnatural way. Luckily, he and Staravia were still alive.

Using everything left in him, Herdier summoned up flakes and crystals of ice and allowed them to cover his barred teeth. Sinking a chomp into the dragon, I saw Deino try to pull back. However, my pet was determined to hold on until it was captured. Even without the use of it's back leg, he still struggled to help me. Staravia, who lay unconscious on the ground, was hardly of use.

"Keep him held there, Herdier! I'll catch him quickly." Pulling out my third Poke ball, I knew what would happen if I messed this up. Even though I planned to catch a second Pokemon, I would still use my final and fourth Poke ball if it came to it. Trusting my arm, I threw the ball at the Deino.

Right before the ball hit, sensing it, the Deino ducked away from the ball. It sailed past him and rolled into the forest. I didn't see where it went, meaning I'd never find it. Cursing myself, I resorted to my final ball. Pulling it out of my bag, I pressed the button and felt the smooth and waxy ball expand in my hand.

"Herdier, use another Ice bite! Seems he's got enough energy to keep fighting." Hearing me issuing commands to another Pokemon, Staravia magically recovered. With vengeful spite, as well as a bent wing, Staravia hopped over to the Deino. With such close range, the black bird had a hard time missing. Pulling back it's head, Staravia jabbed it's beak into the dragon. Then again and again until Staravia became overcome with the pain and stumbled back. Herdier used that time to release the Deino long enough to resummon the ice and chill before sinking his teeth into the furry hide of the dragon's shoulder.

With a pool of blood surrounding the Deino, I walked closer before throwing my last Poke ball at the Deino. It disappeared in a flash of red and white, the two Pokemon and myself standing around the ball. If this failed, I knew that I'd have to find the lost Poke ball in the bushes before I caught it. And before it died to it's wounds. Slowly, as the red was replaced by green, we watched in anticipation. Prepared to jump into the woods to search, I stood at the ready. Then, the ring of green was complete and then disappeared entirely.

* * *

 **Well, that seems like a great place to stop, huh? I swear, I'm almost afraid every time I leave my story, it'll be wiped by the time I come back. So, next chapter, MC will get to see whether caught the Deino or not.**

 **Sorry for any mistakes, as it is past midnight.**

 **But, since I'm tired, LowePlays signing out.**


	2. Train for Glory

**So, second chapter. Yeah, I've been typing vigorously for the past week for this story. Seriously, addiction is imminent. Though I love drawing, art, and all that, I still think writing is a hobby of mine. Hit and miss hobby, yes.**

 **But I'm gonna shut up and listen to Set it Off. If you enjoyed, please leave a review. Thanks!**

* * *

Stepping forward, I was cautious. There was a chance for anything to happen. Nothing said we were safe until I picked up the small red orb. Once it was in my hand, I knew I'd caught my first Pokemon. Looking to my Herdier and my mother's Staravia, I smiled openly. I'd never have been able to do it without them. I hugged my dog, who licked my face, and pat Staravia on the head. All I got from Staravia was a painful peck to the hand. I made sure that I didn't touch Herdier's back leg, as he only stood on three legs and occasionally whimpered.

Opening up the built in display, I saw the details of my new partner. It displayed a few special things, aka trivial thing, like weight, height, and even BMI. Looking towards the relative health of the Deino, I saw something that scared me. In bright bold red was a flashing 4%, as well as the words that said 'Critical Injuries'. I knew I couldn't keep Deino in... his condition. I probably couldn't even release it to heal it. It was practically dead already. Luckily, if it stayed inside it's Poke ball, the injuries would be contained. They couldn't heal, but they wouldn't get worse.

Retrieving Staravia, who had a broken wing, I pocketed both old and new Poke balls and picked up Herdier. Though he protested in pain, I managed to get him into a comfortable position in my arms without too much pain. Though I could see it in his eyes every time I moved, it was not enough for him to show it. As we exited the clearing, I stepped on something. Feeling similar to the crunch of a shell, I looked around Herdier to see... the remains of an egg?

Balancing Herdier, I grabbed a shard or three and struggled to put them in my bag without dropping my injured dog. Deciding to simply hold them, I pushed through the foliage and ducked under branches. Making our way back through the forest, I felt the two Poke balls in my pocket clinking together. Herdier, being a trooper, growled at any Pokemon that got too close. Pride, as well as concern were two major feeling in my head as I made my way back onto the road back to town.

.

Deciding to handle the health of the Pokemon, I headed towards the Pokemon Center instead of home. After all, I did have a favor to pick up. With Herdier growling at people on the street and sidewalks, it was difficult to keep him calm. Though he only weighed 40 pounds, he was beginning to feel like a ton of bricks. Making my way to the Pokemon Care Center, I walked back through the now familiar glass doors.

At the counter, I saw the same Nurse Kuro from a the first time I came in. In the lobby, there were also a few newer trainers. They looked slightly travel worn, but they still messed around like regular guys. Among them, I also saw one or two girls, but they didn't look attached to the boys. Minding my business and Pokemon, I carried Herdier to the counter.

"Oh, hello, Sir! Good to see you again. I assume you're here to heal your Herdier again? Boy, you must be quite the fighter to already have to heal him again. Now, could you present your Trainer ID?" His blonde hair and kind smile were all too harsh. It was just my luck that the kind Nurse Joy from the other night wasn't here.

"Uh, I haven't taken the test yet. But I do have more than one Pokemon with me." With Herdier on the table, I retrieved my other two Pokemon and laid them on the tray Nurse Kuro presented. He had a kind smile, even when he knew it'd cost me.

"Well, it is a shame to hear that. Now, I'll have to ask you to return your Herdier to his Poke ball before we heal him. We need it to run an examination and estimation." When I didn't comply, I bowed in shame. Herdier wasn't my Pokemon. He belonged to my parents, but I was his friend. "Didn't you hear me? I need you to return your Pokemon to their ball."

"Um, Herdier isn't really my Pokemon. He was given to me when I was a kid, but he belongs to my parents."

"You haven't been naughty as the Pachirisu, have you? You know, I'll need to call them to bring the Poke ball. In the meantime, I'll have to keep him with me." Looking at me up and down, he expected me to break down or beg him not to, but I simply stood there. I wasn't lying, nor was I concerned with the Poke ball. But what I worried about was my father coming. If he knew what I'd done, he'd turn the house upside down.

"You can call them, but I guess you could say I was 'Naughty as a Pachirisu'. I just caught my first Pokemon, after all." An expression lit up his face. Extending a hand, Nurse Kuro beamed at me. I took it and shook it lightly.

"That's good to hear! Nice to see you're taking those first steps into a great Pokemon Trainer! Now, what'd you catch? Is it this one?" The man held up my new Poke ball, containing Deino inside. I was concerned for his health, but Nurse Kuro simply checked the display. I saw his face go from excitement to shock, then to awe. "T-this is quite the, erm, Pokemon you've got with you. I can tell you're going far."

"Thank you, Nurse Ku-" Suddenly, I hand slapped my back and I stumbled forward. Turning around, two of the boys were behind me and smiling. They were slightly younger than me, probably fresh from Oreburgh or Jubilife.

"Congrats, man! How does it feel to be a trainer? When you planning to take the test, huh? Because me and Henry here passed the test two months ago. We also got this last week!" Pulling back his sleeve, the boy showed a metal badge on it. It was the Oreburgh Gym Badge, a sign he was a stronger trainer than me. Here to brag, huh?

"Cool, man! What'd you get for your first Pokemon?" I feigned interest, to show my awe. In honesty, I was a bit jealous. I'd been stuck here for almost a year longer than I expected.

"Me? I got a Shinx. Though she wasn't much use in the Gym, my Lira is pretty powerful. You don't want to get an electric shock from her. How about you? Obviously it's pretty powerful." Dropping my facade, I smirked and crossed my arms.

"I caught a Dragon Pokemon called Deino. With his powerful draconic attacks and abilities, the first Gym should be a piece of cake." From confidence, the boy and Henry stepped back in fear. I was a Dragon tamer to them, a god. One of the most powerful of trainers. Even if my Deino wasn't tame, he was still a dragon and I was his trainer. I hoped.

"Y-you caught a Dragon? By yourself? Just who are you?" Telling him my name, he pulled out his blue and black PokeDex. He searched me up, but no results came up. Trying to make light of the conversation, "Sorry, but you're nothing to me _and_ the Internet." His words did cause a few laughs, but his and Henry's were strained. They were afraid.

"Mr. Lorano? I'm going to need your parent's phone number. Could you please write it down on this paper?" Turning back to Nurse Kuro, I realized I'd forgotten all about my Pokemon and him. Taking the pen and paper from him, I wrote down the numbers of the house phone. "I'll be back in a few moments. In the mean time, I'll take your encapsuled Pokemon."

No longer interested in talking to me, the boy joined his friends and tried talking up the girls. Unfortunately, they had no interested in him and quickly rejected him. Minding my own, I noticed one of the two girls was more introverted than the other, sitting alone on a bench. Without much notice of me, I snuck past the main group to be right next to her.

"How's it going? You're, uh, sitting alone here, you know?" Looking at me, the girl looked coldly at me. Her bright green eyes glared at me.

"What're you doing? And why are you talking to me?"

"Now, no need to be hostile. Just trying to talk, you know? So, what's your name?" Still, taking the hint, I made sure to make a few more inches of room.

"Just who do you think you are? You obviously are just a local nobody, so bug off. You're annoying me." She huffed at me and turned away, opening her PokeDex instead. I tried not to look over her shoulder, but she was practically showing me the screen. On the page, I saw a list of images of Pokemon. I guess they were her team, as they only numbered four. Still, I tried not to recognize the Pokemon showed on the screen.

"What're you looking at? Mind your own Pokemon if you're so inclined. Or use your own PokeDex. Just stay away from me!" In reaction to her outburst, the guys turned towards me, including their ring leader.

"This guy bothering you, Riley? Don't worry, because we'll take care of him." The boy with the Shinx, or Luxio by now, stepped up and took out a Pokeball. "C'mon, Lorano boy. Let's do this like real men. Just you and me, one on one Pokemon battle. Wha'dya say?" I only had one Pokemon. On top of that, it was in critical condition. I couldn't do this, no matter how big of a coward I may seem. I didn't even want to see what Pokemon was inside that Poke ball.

Fortunately, I didn't have to. As I opened my mouth to respond, the sliding doors opened and two panicked adults ran in. As I turned around to face them, I was tackled by my mother. It also helped me by slamming me back into the hard bench.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? Where'd they get you, huh?" My mother almost undressed my to see every scrape and scratch on my body. I had to literally push her off me for her to calm to hold back. My father took it better, though he was still worried. He went to the boys confronting me and spoke to them.

"Are you the ones who put my family's Pokemon in the Hospital? I had to stop working so I could come here, so if this isn't as important as my work, then I'll fine you for harassment." Struggling to make sense of the situation, the boys were trying to deny the charges pressed against them.

"No, it wasn't them, Dad." I had my mother attached to my arm and restricted me from getting up. She worried about the small scratch where Staravia had pecked me. He looked at me for an explanation, as well as the boys around him.

"Well? Just who do I need to teach a lesson for hurting my son and Pokemon?"

"It was just a wild Pokemon. But Herdier and Staravia helped me. So, that's the whole situation. That's why they're here."

"So you were out in the forest again? Didn't I tell you not to go in there? You know how dangerous it is." The boys snickered and laughed. They had Pokemon, as well as parental permissions to venture into the forest. I held my head low in embarrassment.

"Well, Herdier needs to go out sometimes. It was while we were on a walk." Catching on, the boys decided to prey on the weak. They tapped on my father's shoulders, and I felt the coming of a storm.

"Stop! I don't even want to hear it. Unless you want me to fine you, just get out of here! " I thanked Arceus that father was pissed. The worst could've been revealed. I watched as the boys shuffled away in fear, among them a single girl. I glanced to the side and saw the other girl, Riley, reading her PokeDex. Then I turned back to my father, who was expecting her to leave. Since she wasn't doing any harm, I assume father let her stay.

"Now, what was I saying? Right, just because Herdier needs to go out and run, that doesn't mean you need to go so far as the forest. Especially at…" He glanced at the clock. "Eleven in the morning." I was starting to sweat and it was a struggle to maintain a straight face.

"Sir," I heard Riley say. "Could you keep it down? I'm trying to study. I don't need loud disruptions." My father, mother, and I looked at the girl, seeing her reading from the mobile computer. Seeing his reaction, father did not take lightly to the disruption to his lecture. Of course, seeing a girl studying and giving a separate lecture would also be just as rude.

"Fine, but you, mister, I'm not through with you. We're going to have a good talk once we get home." I knew we would. Of course, my conversation with him would be different. I had my own Pokemon, so I already was far into my journey. Past the point of no return, you could say.

Walking to the front desk, my father pulled out a Poke ball he hadn't used before. With a ring of the bell, we waited. It only took a few moments for Nurse Kuro to appear. He recognized my mother on sight.

"Ah! I see Mrs. Lorano is here. You must be Mr. Lorano? Joseph Lorano, is it? Have you brought the Herdier's Poke ball?" Showing the Poke ball, the young male nurse took it and retrieved Herdier. He took one last look from behind the counter at me, before vanishing in a flash of red light. "Now, let me see… Hm. Your Herdier should be ready to go by tomorrow afternoon, but your other two Pokemon won't be ready until the next evening."

"Sorry, but 'other two'? I was under the impression it was just Herdier and Staravia. What other Pokemon are you treating?"

"I thought he'd have already told you. Your Staravia and Deino. Well, his Deino, really. Right?" I had a nervous smile when I nodded to Nurse Kuro. My father had a paper white look of shock as he glanced at me and the young man behind the counter. "Do you need any proof, Mr. Lorano?"

"N-no, but… You did say "Deino", right?"

"Yes, sir. Your son here managed to catch it." I saw a look of horror on my father's face.

"A Deino… Caught by my son? By Celebi's wings..."

"Sir, if you'd like, you could come back in two days to pick it up. But the fee for three Pokemon will be 150 Poke bucks. Payment is required to retrieve the Pokemon. Have a nice day! ... Can I help you with something else, Sir?" Suddenly, he fell backwards and I dove to catch him. When father didn't move, my mother and I had to drag him out of the Poke Center. I waved my thanks to Nurse Kuro as we left, who gave me a thumbs up.

"I had hoped this could wait, but it seems we'll have to break the news early to him. But now you have to tell me this. How badly did you hurt my Staravia? And where on earth did you find a Deino?!"

"I found Deino in a cave in the forest. It looked injured and hurt, so I thought we could fight it, me and Herdier. But I didn't know it was a dragon, so we were pretty easily beaten. With Staravia, I was able to capture it, but I don't have any more Poke balls now.

"As for Staravia, he's fine. Though he is a prideful bird, he did as I asked for the most part. He only broke his wing and pride. It was just an accident, really." My mother looked a bit worried about her avian partner, but she was happy he was alright. And probably that I was, too. Of course, he could easily be put in the care of Nurses and Blissey to be healed.

"Well, I'm happy your first catch was a success. But, you did say you're all out of Poke balls now? Just how hard did you have to beat the Deino? Or did you just throw the Poke ball like a rookie?" I smiled at her last sentence. I could tell she was making fun of me, both from her tone and the smirk on her face.

"I had to damn near kill it. Honestly, those dragons take a lot to contain them. Still, I only used three of the four on the Deino. The fourth one was used to capture a tree." I laughed at my own joke, though I knew it was probably still in the forest under a bush.

"I can't believe you'd miss the chance to catch a Pokemon. Literally!" We laughed aloud, creeping passing people as we dragged our unconscious father over our shoulders. It was something that allowed us to lift the heavy tension about my catch, all the way home.

.

After splashing water over his face, my father snapped back and woke up. Spluttering and gasping, we saw as color returned to his face. And it wasn't healthy color either. His face grew red as he looked for the one who soaked him. Still, with wet locks in his face, he had a little trouble seeing.

"Dad, I think we need to talk. It's about the future and what I want to do." Father looked towards me, acting similarly to the Deino. Pushing the dripping hair to the side, he looked into my eyes with fear. I realized I'd become exactly he feared I would. It caused my heart to twinge.

"It's about becoming a trainer, isn't it?" He looked at me, desperate for my mind to change. Instead, I nodded. "I see... I guess nothing will sway you from this path. I guess this is Arceus' Punishment. Perhaps cruel fate? Even going so far as capturing the very beast who tore apart our life... I can't believe you would go so far, even against our warnings. You do understand how dangerous these monsters are, right?"

"Yes, Dad. I know. I've seen the power they can harness. But, I know I can train Deino to be my partner. I know they aren't the plushies on the shelf, but battling companions."

"No, they are more than that. They are the very embodiment of nature. They are the advanced and dominant beings on this world, going so far as being our gods and deities. Not simply our battling companions." Mother stepped back and left the room. She could see an argument brewing.

"That's not true!"

"What isn't? That they are more than simple battling companions? That they are the dominant beings? What? How am I wrong?"

"They aren't gods. Pokemon are part of life as much as we are. If they are gods, then what are we?"

"Humans are weak and unable to do anything. We hide behind stronger monsters, then send them to fight to the death. The only advantage we have is up here." Father jabbed to his skull, pointing to his brain. True, we had technology, but no power. But the brain that created it all could replace those supernatural powers, right?

"We might not be strong, but we can reason and strategize, right?"

"That doesn't make us strong..." He turned away from me and took the towel my mother returned with. "Still, you have demonstrated you are stronger than I am. You even managed to catch a dragon, far greater than I ever could have done." He... accepted it? "So, maybe... you can go on your journey. But, I have one requirement. If you come crying to me, I won't let you inside my home."

Now I understood. He was disowning me. Rather, he would if I was weak. But he was wrong. I was strong. Way stronger than he knew. I would show him who was the one crying.

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll make sure to never give up. I'll become the best, so you can be proud of me and my Pokemon. And then, when I reach the top, maybe you won't be scared of Pokemon anymore?"

"I guess we'll see. Just tell me. How long do you think you need to tame that Deino? How about I give you three months?" Three months, huh? He must be joking. I was planning to leave around November or Christmas. To leave in September with a tame Deino? He must be joking. Still, I was not weak.

"Fine. In exactly three months, 91 days from now, I'll go to Jubilife City. Once I'm there, I'll take the test and be gone. How's that?"

"Very well. But you'd better pass that exam, if I were you." Mother stepped up.

"Now, Jojo, you don't have to kick him out. He's our son. Give him some time to prepare for his journey. You know you took almost two years to leave your parent's home." My father put up his hand.

"That's enough, Myra. I made my decision, as did he. In three months, he's leaving. That's final." Breathing through my nose, I tried to control my breathing. It was enough that I thought my father accepted my dream. Instead, he threatened me if I failed to be a trainer.

Angry, I stomped up to my room, kicking off my shoes as I passed the front door. To take my mind off things, I opened the computer on my desk. With a few taps of the keyboard, I signed in. Using the internet, I looked up any new information I could find on Deino.

.

From food preference, to certain sensitive areas, I learned how to care for my new dragon. Being primarily a carnivore, the blind dragon would eat anything. Among other things, there were also reports of Deino eating human corpses. The thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

I also learned how to differentiate between genders of Deino. It was a bit hidden in the piles of useless speculation, but I managed to find it with visual proof. The difference was the shade of their blue bodies, as well as their tail. Males were more of a purple color, as well as appearing to have their tails torn off.

It was a bit disturbing, seeing as how the Dragons would tear off the tail of one of their own. Still, remembering my own Deino, I couldn't tell if it was whole or not. But the shade of blue it had was still fresh. I would have to examine it later, once healed of course.

Though confusing, the studies of their society was quite in depth. It was almost as if the writers were among the dragons when he/she wrote it. It detailed the status of the dragons was determined by how long their hair hung. Thus, through years of breeding, the young ones were blinded by their hair. They didn't see until they were grown, evolving into Hydreigon.

I remembered the Hurricane again, knowing that the creature on the screen was the same as the one who ruined our lives here. Still, I could see the recovery effects. No hundreds of homeless people, no broken buildings, and no more reports of the dead. Even my fathers berries were beginning to sell was a sign we were back on our feet.

From downstairs, I heard my mother calling me. I read the time as a quarter to seven and my stomach rumbled. I remembered I hadn't eaten all day. The excitement of capturing the Deino had driven the thoughts of food away and I hadn't given it much thought since. I'd been to focused on research to notice my self.

Closing the lid of the computer, I jumped down the stairs. I took them four at a time and sat down at the table. When I did, my father took his plate with him into the living room. Mother sighed, but said nothing.

"So, now he refuses to eat at the same table? Is he actually serious about disowning me?" I picked up my fork and knife to cut into the Mareep chops. With father's return to the market, we could afford this kind of food again.

"He is disappointed in himself, really. Don't take it too seriously. He could never truly hate you. You know that." Mother pushed the berry gelatin around her plate.

"I'm not so sure. He seems to really not like my choice. Maybe he wants to get away from my Pokemon?" I took a hearty bite from the Mareep. I loved the taste of the salts and seasonings, how they complimented the meat. My mother was getting better at this.

"Maybe... But please respect him. He still is your father, even if both of you don't want to accept that fact."

"It's his fault. He was the one who shit on my dream."

"Don't say that! You know I don't like it when you use profanity, especially against your own father. Just... give him some time."

"I only have three months, so that should be plenty. Besides, I have a dragon to train. I'll give him all the space and time he needs."

"There is no need to be like that. You and your father are so alike, you repel each other. Maybe you'll meet a girl the opposite and be attracted to her?" That Magnemite reference? Legendaries, that one was getting old.

"Mom, I'll find a girl when I'm ready. Besides, all the good ones left on their Pokemon journeys already. I think I'm actually the only one left."

"No need to get melodramatic, either. There is Julia. She's alright, isn't she?"

"I said all the good ones." I shoved the last of the Mareep in my mouth.

"Well, I can't argue with what you choose, but I don't think you're gonna find many girls out in the forests. After you see I was right, you'll be 40 or so." I smiled at her joke before starting on the pecha gelatin. It was blissful, the way it slid down my throat.

"Don't worry. By the time I've beaten the second gym, girls will be swarming me. How could they resist me?" I blushed when mother almost choked on her pecha gelatin to laugh at me. "I'm being serious!"

"Yes, and that's what is so funny! Only the second gym?" My mother took a moment to calm down and stopped laughing. "That isn't as far as you think. Maybe the fourth or fifth you will have girls crawling all over you. But, who knows? You do have a dragon with you. Maybe that will give you your girls and fame?"

That was right! Legends swarmed trainers with dragons as starters. With Deino, there was no saying what could happen! But hopefully it's nice and glorious, huh?

Looking down at my plate, I stood and carried my empty dish to the sink. After a second of rinsing, I put it in the washer.

"Going back upstairs?"

"Yeah. See you in the morning, alright?"

"Sure. Just don't stay up too late. You'll burn your eyes out."

"No problem. I'm pretty tired anyways. Good night!"

"Good night." She turned to check on my father as I went up. I entered my room and pulled up a drawing. It was one I'd made when I was eight. It depicted a Pidgeot carrying me as a trainer, soaring over Sinnoh. At least, what it was supposed to be.

I hung it up as proof I was going down my dream's path. With thoughts and expectations of the future in my mind, I drifted off to sleep after one of my favorite days.

...

 _The sky darkened with a massive shadow descending upon a small town. With a deafening roar, a giant steel being crushed several buildings, as well as a church. It's shadowy claws raked the air and it vanished._

 _Soon after, two more beings descended and faced each other. With two ear-piercing cries, the two began to wage war. As they fought, time and space seemed to bend around them before they separated. Like the first, they raked the air with claws before entering their own dimensions._

 _A fourth being descended, a recognizable creature. Drawn under the light of a god, this golden ringed beast pranced through the air and restored the damage of the previous three. Using the four gems embedded on its golden ring, it opened a doorway and leapt into it's own dimensional space._

 _As time passed, five new churches rose over the city and formed the Five Major Sects of Hearthome. The Sect of Arceus believed to be strongest, their spire rose above the others as the tallest. How foolish humans were..._

 _..._

It was torture to wait until dinner to see Herdier again. After deciding to go to get all three at once, mother and I waited until now. Father, wanting no part in it, decided to stay home. I was also excited for the opportunity to eat out. It had been such a long time since we had the funds to do so.

That didn't mean we were by any means wealthy enough handle this any more than once. Still, this was a special occasion. I finally had my own Pokemon!

Arriving at the Pokemon Center, a new Nurse Joy was behind the counter. This one was definition of experienced. She was older than any nurse I'd seen. Deciding to pull that favor, I retrieved the slip of paper the newer Nurse Joy had given to me. Using the phone at the Center, I called the number listed on it.

"Hello? Who is this?" It was answered by a girl after the third ring. She sounded alert, but young and tired.

"Hi. This is the kid from the other day. I just caught a Pokemon and I was wondering if I could get that favor?"

"Hmm... Call me later. I'll cover it this time..." Then the line went dead. So much for a favor. I walked up to the counter with mother.

"Who was that? Didn't know you were still in contact with anyone."

"It was a Nurse Joy who works here. She said she'd help me when I caught my Pokemon, but I thought she'd be on duty tonight."

"Ooh. So you're into nurses, are you?"

"Shut up! I am not!"

"When you're done messing around, what can I do for you?" The grumpy old Nurse spoke in a croaky monotone voice and frowned at us. "Well? What're you here for?"

"We're here for three of our Pokemon. Our name is Lorano, so-" The old lady held up a saggy arm and stopped mother.

"Enough, Sweet cheeks. I can do my job. Just tell me what I need to know." She typed a few things in and a few key presses later, she held out her hand for money. "Well? It's hundred fifty for three unregistered trainer care Pokemon. Cough up."

Rather unceremoniously, my mother shoved a wrinkled was of bills into the hag's hand. Standing, she grabbed three Poke balls on the shelf behind her.

"A mutt, bird, and blind bag for you. Now leave. Got other trainers to serve." What other trainers? Not a soul here, but us and her. And... Did she call Herdier a mutt? What kind of Nurse is she?

Huffing, mother pocketed her Staravia while I released Herdier. Tackling me, I hugged him while he licked my face. I noticed a few new scars along his muzzle, but they were small and hard to see. At least he could walk again.

Together, we walked home and I held Deino tight in my pocket. I knew Herdier had only battled to protect me, but it was valiant and brave to have gone up against a dragon Pokemon. Staravia also fought, but he was already battle-trained. Though it had been at least a few years since battling, he had still retained knowledge on how to. Prideful and stubborn, it still fought well and won against Deino.

Father was waiting in the living room with a glass of Scotch in his hand. He still hadn't gotten over his addiction to alcohol. He looked up at us before turning back to his bottle. His look of defeat was prominent underneath his unshaven stubble. He smiled when Herdier rubbed against his spare hand.

It was rare for him to enjoy Pokemon, but having known him since a Lillipup, it was hard to be scared of him. It was the only Pokemon he would show no flinching or hesitation, being a loyal pet.

"Hey, Dad. Enjoy the drink." Being sarcastic, I ran up the steps to my room. All he cared about was his farm and money. No matter how he claimed it was for me, I knew the truth. What a pitiful and weak parent. I caught mother's eye as I passed, but she shook her head. She understood. She was stronger. How could she stay with such a weak man?

I shook my head and opened my door. I felt the smooth shell of the Poke ball in my pocket. I knew the moment I released the Deino, it would attack me. That much was plain obvious. It was a feral dragon still.

Considering the blind Deino, having been caught yesterday morning, I knew it had to be hungry. But just how hungry was it? How much would it eat? And what would I feed it? I grimly thought up the image of a Deino eating a human corpse, causing shivers to run down my spine as I took my shirt off.

With the decision to train Deino in three months, along with the glowing screen beside my bed, I sat down and studied the data it showed. Considering my Deino knowledge, it didn't show much. Really, it was just battle related details. It wasn't too unexpected, though. That was the main purpose of Pokemon, nowadays.

Being close to nine, I was growing rather tired considering the time. Still, my impatience earlier had made me nervous. It was the most likely cause of my drowsiness. Obeying the sweet commands of my pillow, I closed the glowing display and closed my eyes. It didn't take long for me to fall to sleep's quiet embrace...

...

 _A shadowy haze crept across the fields and slithered around unsuspecting humans. As the haze engulfed them, they passed from a moment of panic into a deep sleep, collapsing to the ground. Several people and Pokemon fell asleep and cleared a path for a demonic creature's wake._

 _It's hazy form and red details were similar to a Zorua and a Ghastly, but was entirely different all the same. In the sky, a new moon could be seen. Through the darkness, the wispy form floated along. Soon, it vanished and blended with the shadows._

 _Suddenly, the moon was full and brilliant. Everything was illuminated as a new and brilliant form flew past. Though briefly, a shimmering pink form paused to survey the area. It's crescent body was shrouded in wisps of pure moonlight. Then it sped off, after the previous creature before it. With it, the light also left, similar to a fading mirage..._

...

I woke up with a slight but fading headache. As I sat up, blood rushed from my brain and I blacked out. It was a bit disorienting, the tingling in my fingers and feet. As my vision returned, I noticed my headache vanishing with it. What was my dream about? It was hazy, but I remembered there were Pokemon in them. I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

Looking at my shelf, I saw my Poke ball sitting there. It was a satisfying thing, as if a trophy. With it's red sheen, it was far more vibrant than the other prizes. Even the shiny silver medal from Judo was worthless beside my Poke ball.

Taking it, I took the time to prepare. Checking my bag, I found my Blissey Egg Extract in its small canister, as well as two potions. Reaching in deeper, I felt a prick on my finger. With quick reflex, I retracted my hand, but the damage was already done.

Blood welled on my finger tip as I watched. When it started to drip, I licked the blood off before heading to the bathroom. Using water and toilet paper, I bandaged my finger and pressed until the blood stopped. I thought of my Blissey Egg, but this would be a stupid thing to use it on, even if it would ease the pain.

Once the red blossom stopped growing, I removed the bloody toilet paper. It was a small cut and hardly needed an actual bandage. The bleeding had stopped anyways.

Returning to my room, I reached down into my bag. Being more careful, I came back with more success. In my hand were several sharp egg shards. It brought back the memories of the recent catch. Shaking out the bag onto my desk, I found three shards as well as a pile of dust.

It seemed the shards had been pulverized in the pocket while I moved. Still, at least some of it survived. I guessed it was from my own Deino, being young as it was. But why was it on it's own? Was the egg abandoned or... what? I pondered it before putting the shards in a pile, while I swept the dust into a bin.

After quickly repacking my stuff into my satchel, I consulted the time. Seeing as I fell asleep earlier than usual, it was still a surprise it was already eight. Was it my oversleeping that cause my headache?

I dressed quickly and shouldered my bag. Making sure it was there, I patted the small ball in my pocket. Today, I would start my training. Without the trainee, it would be quite difficult.

"Morning," mother said, knocking on my door. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. Whenever you're ready." I heard the receding footsteps as she went down. Following, I grabbed my wallet before following.

"Morning, Mom," I called. "What's for breakfast?" I reached the bottom of the stairs before she answered.

"See for your self. Pancakes today. We have jam and honey, if you want." Mother came out of the kitchen with a plate of them, revealing the steamy goodness.

"No syrup?"

"Sorry, kiddo. No can do. Maybe next time." Sitting down, I moved a fresh cake to my plate before smothering it in Bluk berry jam. It wasn't the same as sugary syrup, but I'd gotten used to the jams. Syrup wasn't exactly native to Sinnoh, making it an expensive import.

"So," Father said, holding his head. I could recognize it as symptoms of a hangover. "You look awfully prepared. Training that monster, aren't you?" It was more a statement than question. I nodded, but hesitant. In response, he simply took a plate and a few pancakes with him to the living room.

It was depressing, but mother tried to cheer me on. How could he act like that, without caring at all? I knew he would be proud some day, but why couldn't he trust me? It was like he didn't want a son anymore.

Wanting to start as early as possible, I ate two pancakes before slipping on my shoes. I was about to open the door before mother stopped me.

"You're going already? Are you sure you're prepared? Just, make sure you come back safe. It is a dragon, after all." I smiled at her, reading her worry and concern. I knew how she felt, but I could hardly let a dragon take me down.

"I'll be fine. This Deino will be tamed in no time." I put on a more confident look, even if I was a bit scared of the Deino.

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you? It'll be safer if someone is with you."

"Like I said, I'll be fine. I won't go too far. Besides, Herdier will be with me." I glanced around. "Where is Herdier, anyways?"

"Well... Your father hasn't let Herdier out of his Poke ball yet. He returned him to his ball before going to sleep late night. I don't think he'll let you take Herdier." My Herdier? Why was he being so protective of my... Oh. Right. Herdier wasn't mine.

With a fading look of rage, it was quickly replaced with sadness. Herdier was a house pet. Once I left for the wilderness, he would stay here. It finally drove home the fact he wasn't mine, nor was he a combatant.

"It's alright. Herdier will always be here for when you get home." Mother laid a hand on my shoulder. With a smile, I opened the door and stepped out so mother wouldn't see my tears.

.

I trekked a ways out of town and wiped the trails from my cheeks. Past the old general store, past the smaller houses, and past the farming ranches. All the way to an open field. It was near the forest, but there was plenty of open ground.

Though I knew the dangers of the dragon, I did have the ability to recall and reposition the Pokemon. As long as I didn't get too close, I should be able to contain it. Hopefully, I could try to communicate.

Standing near a large Birch tree, I opened the menu on the Poke ball. Though similar to the info panel, this display told me nothing. It was a bunch of sliders, numbers, and abbreviations.

After a minute of adjusting toggles and sliders, I pressed the middle button on the ball. In a bright flash, the sound of a growling Deino could be heard. Looking at it, the dragon was backwards and faced away from me. It was also less than a meter away.

Panicking, I tried to back up, but tripped over the roots of the tree. Upon hearing me, the Deino swiveled towards me. Barring it's teeth, it charged straight for me. Fumbling with the red sphere, I struggle to point the orb at the Deino in time.

Reaching me by sound, the Deino lunged out with it's open mouth. Holding up my arm on instinct, I felt the pain of sharp teeth piercing my skin. In the split second the Deino held still, I aimed the laser guided recall before pushing the button.

Disappearing in a flash, I was left with several wounds, all of them bleeding. Though they were not deep, the cuts were still bleeding fast. My entire are was coated in my blood within a few seconds.

Using my spare hand, I pulled out the Blissey Egg Extract. I thanked my mother for the insight to buy it. Removing the cap, and to my horror, I realized it was a syringe. Still, already in pain, what was a little more? I looked at the needle in my hand before steeling my nerves.

With careful aim, I stabbed the metal point into my arm and winced. Pressing the button, I injected all of the medicine and withdrew the needle. Casting it aside, I held my arm.

As I watched, steam began to rise as my flesh heated up. In fact, it was burning. I held my arm in pain, but remembered to keep the blood off my clothes. Leaning against the tree, I groaned in pain.

Then, slowly the heat began to cool and I looked back at my arm. In seven spots, I saw small shiny new scars. Rotating it, I saw six more on the under side. I groaned again and sighed. My mother would hate me for this. Hadn't she said 'come home safe'?

Deciding to give it another try, I adjusted the settings. Holding the ball straight and aiming it, I released the Deino again.

This time, the dragon was about five meters away. It was also upside down. Mentally face palming, I realized what the sliders and abbreviated words were. I also understood more of how the Poke ball worked.

While struggling to get on it's feet, I was give the opportunity to examine the Deino. Though not listed on the info panel on the Poke ball, I could tell it was a she. Seeing the full tail and dark blue furry scales, I knew it was female.

The black fur that covered it's face and neck looked quite tangled, but it looked soft. After tamed, I knew I should comb it out.

I also noted 'she' was family small. Not tiny, but hardly considered to be a fierce dragon. As it- she rose to her full height, I could see her small antenna horn was almost laughable as it was bent sideways. Almost, simply because I knew what she was.

"Hello, little Deino," I called. Though softly, it was more than enough to alert her. She turned her head to me and lowered her neck. Smelling the air and listening to me, she zeroed in on me. With a warning growl, I saw her fur rise like a Herdier.

"Please, do not attack me. I am friendly." However, not being friendly towards me, the Deino charged. Opening her jaws, I watched as she came nearer. Though fear was coursing through me, I easily and smoothly step sided the clumsy dragon.

Confused on where I was, she started sniffing again. As I watched and confused my self, an almost evil smile crept onto her face as she turned towards me. Right as she lunged, however, I pressed the button on the Poke ball.

Thinking over how the results of the encounter went, I considered how she must be feeling. I did catch the Deino two days ago, but was she hungry yet? And how much should- would I feed her?

Feeling my wallet, I felt a pang of regret as I knew I'd have to use some of my hard earned funds. Still, at least 1,400 Poke dollars would last a while. It would work for now. I hope.

.

The walk back into town was longer than the walk out. Passing the border, I headed to the butcher shop. Even without a Pokemon, I had been there for dinner shopping.

As I approached the business front, I had to hold back my gag reflex. No matter how many time I did it, no matter how much I loved the cooked taste, the smell of freshly killed Pokemon disgusted me. Still, this was more important. I was here for business after all.

A door bell rang when I stepped through the doorway. "Yes, I'll be there in a sec," called a voice, followed by heavy footsteps. From a back room, a large man rounded the corner. His large and lean muscles were trained to cut meats on busy days. How he handled blades with large muscles was a mystery to me.

"How may I help you? Just don't waste me time. I gots some orders to complete, still." With his strange way I speaking, I coughed to hide my subtle laughter.

"Can I get a Pidgey? A whole one will do, if you have orders to handle." I tried to hide the fact I was going to feed it to a hungry Dragon later. With no training, no one should see it. The risks were too high.

"You're just in luck. Men's just gots an order of fresh Pidgey Fillet. But if you needs a whole one, I'd still got a few to start on." With a grin and my nod, the butcher walked back into the butcher room. He emerged with a dead Pidgey in his hand. It took everything in me to keep my gagging from showing.

"How much," I asked, pulling out my wallet.

"Eh. Pidgey sell for 100 per bird. Just, why do you need a whole Pidgey?" After handing the man the money, I picked up the Pidgey.

"Family dinner is big. It's a cousin's birthday today." I tried to keep my nerves under control, but the feeling of the feet and the smell was getting to me. I exited the building before the butcher could respond. With bird in hand, I walked back out of town, towards the field.

.

I set the Pidgey on the ground and pulled out the Poke ball containing Deino. With better understanding of the sliders, I adjusted them with some experience. Though some I didn't understand, I deemed my work to be complete. All that was left was the signal.

Once a feeding signal was established, Deino would become more dependent on that signal. Of course, nothing said she wouldn't attack me the second she smelled me.

After a few moments of thinking, I pressed the button on the Poke ball. Deino appeared turned around again, but on her feet. Forming the signal, I whistled twice, then stomped on the ground.

Relying on hearing, I hoped a dragon like this would make the pattern sink in easier. Dropping the Pidgey, the blind Deino turned towards in and advanced quickly. I smiled as the plan was falling into place.

Suddenly, she stopped dead. Taking a sniff at the air, the Deino faced the Pidgey, the source of the latest noise, then at me. With a last sniff of the Pidgey, she charged towards me.

Using the tree to escape harm, I climbed into the branches as the dragon nipped after my heels. Once I was confirmed to be out of reach, she turned back towards the dead bird. Nudging it, it waited before digging in. In a gruesome, but also quick meal, the Pidgey was no more than a pile of bloody feathers.

Now that Deino was fed, I felt comfortable retrieving my unnamed Deino. Reaching into my pocket, however, I found the issue. It was the lack of a Poke ball that was the issue. Looking around the ground, I was desperate to find the small orb. Finally, between two roots, I spotted the red glint of the shell.

Second issue was that my Deino was patrolling near the tree. The only way to get the Poke ball would be to climb down and quickly recall it. I did not trust my skills, just as much as I didn't trust my Deino. Still, it was the only option.

Trying to find a safer way to retrieve the ball, I scrambled my brain for something, anything. Almost all were stupid, but I did decide one was worth trying.

Breaking a tree branch was the first step to the plan. Using a smaller and higher branch, I snapped off the end, alerting the Deino below. Step two was ready for action. Climbing down, I got as close as I could to the ball. Then, with Deino looking straight at me, I tossed the branch as hard as I could.

With a thud, the branch landed a fair distance away. As Deino looked at it instead, I prepared to jump. I waited for the dragon to move first. Then the Look of a smile crossed the dragon's face as it made a noise in it's throat. Looking back into the tree, I could tell my plan had failed. I'd been seen through. Coming up with blanks after this, I decided to wait it out. What else was I supposed to do?

.

It was an hour later that I was able to escape the tree. It gave me plenty of time to think during this period and I decided a few things. One was how I was going to feed her. Buying a Pidgey every day would only last about 10 days. Being said, what said anything about her being filled by a single Pidgey once a day?

Like the old say says, Teach a man to fish and he'll never go hungry? Anyways, I decided the best plan of action was to "fish" the dragon's meal. Though I didn't like the prospect of killing Pokemon, it was the better road. Deino were Carnivorous, after all.

I also figured the simplistic way was through trapping. Though I knew nothing on trapping, I did have access to a magical network called the Internet. Using that, I could be a pro by tomorrow.

The second thing I decided was taming methods. Though I knew kindness was always a good and reliable route to take, the time taken to do so was long and arduous. Using a more aggressive approach, I could force her to depend on me for a source of food, as well as power. Once I was a trapper, I could present the meals as my own feats of strength.

Though I didn't like it myself, I had limited time. I would still use the feeding time signal, or 'call' as I came to call it. That part was already started. The rest of the process would be harsh, maybe cruel. But it would make her see me as her trainer. All that mattered right now was the quick end result.

Lastly, I decided on a name for my Deino. Being female, all I could come up with male names. It was difficult to come up with a cool name for her, but I finally settled on one.

Thinking of her evolution, along with the typing of the dragon, the name Akuma (Nightmare) came to mind. Though she wasn't quite there, she was still quite terrifying. It was when she evolved that the true nightmare began.

After an hour or so of pondering, I began to see differences in Akuma's behavior. She began to walk further away from the tree than usual and occasionally bumped into the tree itself. In fact the only reason I noticed was because she had run into it.

It took only a few minutes more to see why. After stumbling to the ground, it remained still for a period of time. After a few minutes, I realized it was asleep. Taking the opportunity, I picked up my Poke ball after climbing down the tree. Being careful and quiet, I was about to recall Akuma, but the way it slept was so peaceful.

Besides, she deserved some time out of her ball. Only one problem. Being untamed, there was no saying where she would go or what she would do. Taking off my belt and shirt, I shredded the cloth as quickly and silently as I could. Though there were moments when my hand flew to my pocket, I finished with the strips of fabric.

Using my belt, I buckled it around her neck. Using the remaining holes, I threaded one of the strips through before tying it off. Knotting each one tightly, I made sure each strip was in no danger of coming loose. Satisfied, but also uneasy, I opened the Poke Positioning System to see Akuma right were she was supposed to be.

I sighed in relief it worked. Moving farther away, I noticed the further away, the less accurate the read was. After I was about thirty meters away, the tracking stopped working. It was as far as the system could position a Pokemon. At least it worked. I just hoped she wouldn't move bythe time I got back.

With the empty Poke ball in my hands, I was nervous about leaving Akuma alone at night. She was a dragon, but she was also obviously young. Still, a dragon needed some freedom and trust. Besides, she was tied to a tree. How far could she get?

.

By the time I came home, it was already past three. Almost four. Having left early this morning, it was a surprise to my mother. Father... he was far less concerned with my dealings with Pokemon. Hiding my new scars, I went upstairs.

After a change of clothes, I signed onto the computer. I opened up my internet browser and typed, 'how to build a snare'. With thousands of results, I smiled and began my search. With every site, I learned a new trick. From the paths of Pokemon and proper tracking, to how to build every type of trap I could imagine.

There was only a few small problems. I needed several items to make the traps. Fortunately, I could eliminate a few of them by using survival tips. By braiding fiber, I could forgo cordage and cost. It was also something we learned in school, so double bonus.

But there was a few things I couldn't make in the wild. A knife was something I would have to buy. Even if I used broken flint or iron scraps, the quality of the traps would be bad. A factory produced blade would work much better, being durable and sharp.

Looking at the clock, I found it to be almost eight. I clicked the button to shut down the computer and walked down the stair, towards the smell of food.

"Oh. I was about to call you down for dinner. You aren't hiding a Psychic up there, are you?" I smirked at mother's suspicions. Still, why shouldn't I get one? I mentally thanked mother for her suggestion.

"I got hungry. So, what is for dinner? I'm starving."

"It's no wonder. You haven't been eating well, missing all your meals. You need them to keep strong." She walked into the dinning room and I helped set the table with her. Bringing out a steaming dish, I saw what was for dinner. "How's Linguine?"

Looking at the white sauce over the flat noodles, my stomach rumbled in an almost painful way. My mother smiled before calling for father. Grumbling, he came out of the garage and washed the oil from his hands as best he could. He hung his dirtied appron by the door and sat down at the table.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, kid. So, any luck with the dragon?" He was curious about Akuma? I tried to decide what was his motives for asking.

"Yeah, I guess," I said, hiding my arm below the table. "I was able to keep her at bay long enough to feed her."

"Already feeding it? Shouldn't you assert your dominance first?" I could tell by the mocking tone that he was trying to poke fun at my training methods. He wouldn't help me. Should've known.

"Starting with food dependence, a Deino has to eat every day. Without me, I'll show her what will happen if I'm not around to feed her. Simple as that. Once she sees that, my Deino will be more compliant."

"Well, we will just see, won't we?"

"Both of you, stop it. Just shut up and eat." Mother served the Linguine and forced us to eat in silence. Even when I asked for salt, she shushed me. Instead, I just ate with my left hand, my scarred arm under the table.

Once I'd finished my plate, I rinsed it off before putting it in the washer. After heading up to my room, I worried about my Deino. What if she was in danger? With weaknesses to Faeries, as well as the cold, I worried. I tossed her Poke ball from hand to hand, the info panel displayed.

The health bar was normal, at 98%. No injuries were sustained and she was fine. It was a miracle I still received data on her. Not that Poke balls had trouble at this range, but I still thought it was amazing.

Grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen, I started to sketch under a lamp. Drawing the head, covered in fur. The tail was whole, not a scar to be shown. With my less than average ability, the Deino still looked great. But I felt it could be better. Instead of looking like a Dragon, it looked more like a cartoon. Still, it was the best I could do.

Being close to nine, I pinned up the picture on my wall. Grabbing clothes, I went to the shower. Under the down pour of warm water, thoughts and strategies curled and flowed through my head. What I would be doing in a few months, the fear and excitement. I only wished it would come sooner.

In nightclothes and cleaned teeth and hair, I returned to my room. Yes, it was boring to do nothing. But I sat on my bed and tossed the Poke ball into the air to catch it again. Akuma... how long until you understood me? When will you see that we're partners?

Sometime later, I don't know when, but I fell asleep. I didn't know what was happening until the next morning, when I saw the sunlight peeking through my window. Retrieving Akuma's Poke ball, I rubbed the shiny marks on my arm. How would I hide these marks for three months? Mother was bound to see them sooner than later, but I'd rather she didn't see them now.

Changing out of my nightclothes, aka gym shorts and a tee shirt, I grabbed my bag and felt it was lighter yet. By the end of this, I wouldn't have anything in it. Considering my wallet only had 1,300 Pokedollars left, I would have to make the purchases I made today count.

I checked my clock once I was ready. Seeing as it was almost eight, I felt I was a bit early. At least my clothes were more suited to the task of dragon taming, but didn't look too out of place. The weather was getting cooler by the day. A long sleeve shirt wasn't too weird, right? Plus it helped hide my scars from view.

"Good morning. You're up early, aren't you? Out to train your Deino again?" Mother was also coming out of her room. I froze in surprise when she spoke.

"Y-yeah. Just a little anxious to get out there again."

"That's good! Great to see you are really serious about this. But, eat breakfast first. You'll need the energy."

"Thanks, Mom." Going down stairs, my mother gave me a smirk as she pulled out a Poke ball. Clicking the button, Herdier materialized. With a woof, I hugged him.

"I stole that from your Father last night. Just make sure you don't take him with you."

"You're the best." Grabbing my friend, I carried him to the kitchen before setting him down. I reached into the cupboard and withdrew a box of cereal and grabbed a bowl. With Herdier following me, I set my breakfast on the table.

"Hey, boy. You hungry? Let me get you some food." Going into the back of the house, there was a bag with an Arcanine on it. Scooping a double handful, I dumped it into Herdier's bowl. "There you go." Happily chowing down, I left Herdier for my own food.

Grabbing some moomilk, I poured the cereal into my bowl before dumping a little milk over it. Delicious. With a spoon, I ate the honey-coated flakes. Once I had finished off the cereal, I brought my bowl into the Kitchen.

"Here. This should help you while you're out today." My mother handed me a bag of sandwiches, each with Bluk berry jam.

"Thanks, Mom. See ya! Sorry, Herdier, but I gotta you home this time. I'll be back later, okay?" Herdier whined when he heard me. I pet his head and rubbed his ears before slipping on my shoes. Putting the bag of sandwiches in my satchel, I waved to my mother. I hardly noticed my sleeve reveal one of the scars.

.

It was easy to run the kilometer or so to the field where I left Akuma. After a fair bit of searching and remembering, I found the birch tree. All that was left of my leash was a loop of torn fabric. Akuma was nowhere to be seen.

"Akuma? You naughty dragon." Pulling out my Poke ball, I opened the PPS, trying to find my Deino. But there was no indicator on the map. Was she further than 30 meters? Was she underground? I glanced and searched the relative area. Several small areas had been scratched and dug up, but they simply were too small to be actual tunnels.

Then, by chance, I saw a small icon appear for a second. Turning towards it, I started walking towards it. It was about fifty meters from the tree that I spotted Akuma. Rather, where she was.

It was a small burrow, probably made by another Pokemon. Inside, she was lying next to a Pecha berry. It was half eaten, revealing the pockets inside. As I came closer, I could see the burrow didn't go further than a few feet. Akuma filled most of it.

As she was asleep, I decided she had enough time out of the ball. Aiming, I clicked the small button and she disappeared. "You gave me quite the scare there, Akuma," I said to the ball. I let out a relieved laugh and headed back towards town to buy my supplies.

.

Two hours later, I was in the forest, a brand new knife strapped to my thigh and my wallet 400 Poke dollars lighter. Searching for trails was much more difficult than I had anticipated. Still, as I walked, I was always examining the trees and ground for evidence of a trail.

It was near a large oak that I found signs of Pokemon. It wasn't so much a trail, but a Pachirisu nest. And no one was home. An evil, but also scary smile crossed my face. Ripping up a few small and dried grass stalks, I started to braid them. At the same time, I searched for any new saplings as green wood was a Spring thing.

I had a whole stack of braided grass by the time I found a sapling I was satisfied with. Using the serrated side of my knife, I started to saw the branches off. They were fairly supple and didn't break easily. Perfect.

With a bare tree, I started sawing through the three inch base. Though it was tough work, I still worked the blade back and forth over the wood until it reached the other side. Now I had my force.

Once I returned to the oak tree, I saw a Pachirisu fleeing at the sight of me. I set my armful of green leaves and branches down beside the three meter pole I had. Of the dozens of branches I sawed off, only seven were usable for traps as the rest were too thin and short.

Using the knife's blade again, I started to whittle a small stick I found. It was fairly new and would be used as a trigger. Once the Pachirisu touched this, I'd have dinner for Akuma. But it wouldn't be used until the end.

Once the trigger was complete, I had shavings all over my legs and my arms burned. Thinking back, I remembered I needed a way to hold the noose open. Wire worked well, but I only had plant fibers. Taking an oak's branch, I broke it in half and cut a crude notch into it. Then I set to work setting up the whole snare.

.

I stood back and admired my work while eating one of my mother's sandwiches. The pole was stuck into the ground and was bent next to the opening in the base of the tree. The noose was tied to the end of it and was held down by another piece of crude twine. The twine was tied to the trigger, barely holding on. A piece of my sandwich was stuck to the trigger. And the noose was held open right in front of it.

Camouflaged, the unlucky Pachirisu who got caught in this would hardly see this one coming. Hopefully it died quickly and easily from the force of the sapling. Leaving it behind, I made a trail by notching every tree on the way out of the forest.

At the entrance to the forest, I found another perfect sapling, this one perfect for my second trap. A bird trap.

Using the branch of the sapling, I made a loop and bound it to a large branch of a neighboring tree. This was the tricky one. Using my knife again, I created a small trigger. Taking another branch, I used it, the trigger, and a new noose to set up the trap.

Using the jam of the sandwich, I baited the stick the Pidgey would land on and laid the noose around the perch. The weight of the Pokemon would release the catch and kill the bird. I hoped. Now all that was left was to wait...

.

Back in town, I hid my knife in my bag and ate another sandwich. I only had one more left. Still, I was glad that Akuma was alright, holding her ball in my pocket. With only 900 Poke bucks left, I was a little nervous as it was only the second day, but I held confidence that my traps would pay off. They only needed to work at least five times, anyways.

I was a little nervous now that the traps would fail entirely, but if they did, it would show I was more than ready to leave home. Maybe I could even make money with the Pokemon guild in town?

Deciding to go to the Guild first, I wanted to learn how I would earn money with them. Even dead Pokemon were useful. As I entered, I found the place to be cheerful and full of the cute propaganda that Pokemon were friendly. What a load of bull.

"Hello, sir! Are you looking to buy your first Pokemon? Or have you a different fancy?" A cheery man behind the counter waved to me.

"I've already got my Pokemon," I said, holding up Akuma. "But I would like to ask a few questions. One is what should I look for when I kill a Pokemon? Like, in the general area?"

"Well, kid. One of the most valuable happens to be the smallest. You see, if you kill a Budew, taking their poison... that'll fetch you a profit. But you don't have to kill it. If you catch a Pokemon, you can bring it straight here and we'll buy it. None will buy it for less than the Pokeball, no matter the Pokemon. Any Pokemon will earn profits." But he leaned in closer. "But I'll tell you what. Bring in any rare ones, I'll pay you a bonus. Eh?"

"So, I should go out and buy Poke balls? You do know they aren't bound to catch on the first try?"

"Of course, buddy! I'm an expert, remember?"

"Yeah, but I can't afford to miss a Poke ball. But I can battle them and hunt for them! So, which Pokemon will give me a good pay, besides Budew? You are an expert, right?"

"Geez, kid. You're killing my vibes here." He pulled me aside and through the back. "You seem to be quite the smart individual, so let me tell you a few things. After that, I'm gonna have to charge you." Pulling out a cigarette, he flicked a lighter and lit it. "So, Buizel's fins. Very good for food. Lots of older folks will pay well for 'em. Now, Pachirisu, little buggers, their tails, fur, and electrical pouches are quite valuable. But only if they are whole."

He puffed several times on his cigarette before throwing it aside. I had to hold my breath every time he spewed out a cloud of smoke. The smell simply made me gag.

"Last one. Next will cost you fifty bucks. So, you've seen the Magnamite around the Ironworks, right? Their magnets sell for a high price. Though they are also made of Iron, you can sell that directly to the Ironworks."

I knew the last one wasn't really possible for now, I kept in in mind. If they were so valuable, I'd definitely target Magnamite for that. I knew that a primitive and crude trap like mine would hardly stand a chance against an electromagnet.

The other three suggestions, however, held much more use. I thought of my trap, just waiting to catch one of those Pachirisu. And Buizel, if I was to trap one, I'd remember to remove it's fins. With Budew, there was hardly a point in trapping a plant. Once I tamed my Deino and could command her in battle, Budew would be one of the first targets. Roasted or not, the Poison should be the same.

"Thanks, Mr. Pokemon Expert. I'll be sure to come back with business next time."

"You'd better, kid. I didn't tell you all this just to not come back. And it's Harris. Ask for me and I'll help you out." He turned around and I followed him as he returned to the front of the store.

"Thanks again." I stepped out into the sun and saw it was getting late and pulled out my last sandwich. I was hesitant to eat it, should my traps fail. If I had to feed it to Akuma over myself, I would. It wasn't a Pidgey, but it would do as a last resort.

Still, I was hungry. With a slightly guilt consciousness, I tasted the jam and butter, spread across the bread. Delicious. I just hoped I got something from my work...

.

It was interesting, as well as sadistic and gross thinking of what Pokemon would give you in terms of money. Sure, Akuma and I would eat. But that didn't mean I didn't like killing Pokemon.

Many people didn't have to rely on hunting day to day. They ate ranched meat and field grown crops, and worked a normal job. It was boring. But being a Pokemon Trainer was simply survival, day in and day out. A Pokemon Trainer could handle it, strong to the core.

Right?

As I came to the outskirts of town, near my birch tree, I saw a group of Bidoof. In the center was a person. It was hard to see what was going on, but it looked strange. I moved closer.

"Hey, you," I shouted. The Bidoof turned to me and stopped what they were doing. Then they returned to the person. "What's going on!? Is everything alright?!" I heard a spluttering noise as I moved closer, among the constant chittering noise.

"P-pleash," a voice said. "H-help me." It was a strangled voice and hard to hear over the Bidoof, being twenty meters away. I barely heard what was said. But I saw the blood.

My stomach turned and I nearly vomited. What could I do? My only Pokemon was untrained and didn't listen to me. But... Wait, Akuma was blind! Relying on scents and sounds, the Deino would attack the only things making noise. And God, did they reek!

But, what about the person being mauled? If they made any noises, they would be killed. If they were helpless, Akuma could easily prey on them.

"Please! Just stay quiet! I'm going to try and help!" Clicking the button, a flash of red revealed Akuma in all her glory.

Turning back towards me, the Bidoof saw us as two, a bigger threat. Their chittering fluctuated. It began to sound angry and advance toward me.

Upon hearing their constant noise, Akuma began charging up a ball of draconic power. Beginning a rushing attack, the blind dragon had little trouble aiming before releasing the energy.

In a bright and satisfying explosion, I winced and gagged at the sight of broken and burned Bidoof corpses fly through the air. I didn't even want to look at the bodies. What was left was a crater, three Bidoof around the rim.

If anything, the small rodents began squeaking and chittering louder. They ought to have learned their lesson from their comrades. I watched as one tried to be a hero and advanced towards Akuma.

Big mistake, pal.

With dark fangs, Akuma began to dig in to the Bidoof's throat. Blood began to pour onto the grass. I wrinkled my nose. Flanking around the crater, the remaining two Bidoof rushed to save their friend.

I knew, as well as Akuma, the first Bidoof was dead. The sheer amount of blood was obvious. Dropping the dying Pokemon, the blind dragon turned to face the left Bidoof and lowered her head.

What was she doing? Was she listening for it? Or was she trying to smell for the remaining Bidoof? I realized in fear that if Akuma smelled my scent, I was dead.

At last second, Akuma dodged out of the way of the first Bidoof. As it's tackle launched it passed her, the second Bidoof rammed face first into her rear. Spinning around, Akuma stretched out her neck to bite whatever had attacked her.

But she closed her jaws over nothing. Confused, Akuma backed up. With the squirming and twitching body behind her, she tripped over the Bidoof and fell onto her back. Taking their chances, the two Bidoof teamed up and began to use their chittering teeth to attack.

She wouldn't make it like this. She was helpless. I needed to save her! But... what would she do once I did? Shaking my head, I decided this wasn't the time. There was someone dying, after all!

With a yell, I pulled out my knife and charged the Bidoof. They would not be the ones to bring down my dragon. Not if I could help it. With a sharp kick, I connected with one of the Bidoof and sent it into the Birch tree. I then used my knife to stab the second Bidoof through the torso. It squeaked in pain a few times before I felt the life ebb away from it.

Rising back to her feet, Akuma screeched at me. Realizing what I'd just done twisted my stomach and I was unable to hold it back. My lunch came up and splashed across the ground.

"I-I'm sorry, Akuma. But you're safe now." In response, I received a sharp bite to the shoulder, easily going past skin. With a hiss, I held back the pain. Instead, I pat Akuma on the head before returning her to her ball.

Standing up, I looked over to the person lying in the grass. That's right, they were injured! Running over, I saw several tears in their clothes and body made it hard to determine male or female. I looked into their eyes and saw tears streaking, I would assume, his face. He looked at me and mouthed, "Help"

"S-sir, are you alright? Let me try to stop the bleeding!" Tugging off my own shirt, I tore off an entire sleeve. Using it as a bandage, I wrapped it tightly over one of the worst injuries on his ribs.

Holding up his hand, he stopped me. "Waight," he said in a strangled, but masculine voice. "T-take me to H-hospital." Nodding, I carefully tried to move my arms underneath him. Though he let out a groan of pain, I forced him to bear through it as I picked him up.

Moving quickly, I started towards town. Almost running, I passed the regular shops and houses. I wished I hadn't used my Blissey extract so quickly yesterday. As I neared the Pokemon Center, the man started to spasm. His blood coated my arms and made it hard to hold him.

"Help," I yelled. The people around turned with more interest in the man. "Help me, please! This man needs medical attention!"

"Here, son," a man said, grabbing the man from me. "Follow me! Stay close!" Doing as told, I went with the stranger to the Pokemon Center. The injured man still continued to shake as we went through the sliding glass door.

"Hello, how may I- Oh, my God! We have an emergency. I need two Chancey right away." Two egg shaped Pokemon quickly emerged from a room, one pushing a gurney. "Quick, get him onto the bed. Get him into the operations room right away. Get him Blissey Egg Extract and take his blood test." Calm, the two Pokemon pushed the man back into the room. A red light flicked on over the door.

"You alright there, son? You don't look very well."

"Yeah. I'm alright. Just a little shock is all."

"Your shoulder is bleeding and you're without a shirt. Tell me what happened."

"Why should I? It's not like I know you." I looked at the man and saw the uniform he wore. I realized I'd just made a mistake. "A ranger?"

"Yes. Now, if you can tell me what happened, I can go and help in any ways I can." Nodding, I started with the encounter with the Bidoof and my indirected battle with Akuma. I ended with telling him about my scars on my arm and about the Blissey Egg Extract.

.

"Well, kid. You seem to be lucky today. Not many can take out... How many did you say? Fifteen Bidoof at once? Your Deino might be more powerful than the common breed if it's as young as you say."

"But why were all the Bidoof attacking one man? It doesn't make sense for there to be more than a small few together."

"Pokemon are still learning to adapt to us. It might have been a way for them to survive, sticking together like that.

Just remember to be safe next time you're out on your own. The same could happen to anyone."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." Seeing as I had no use at a Pokemon center, I left though the glass doors. No one tried to stop me, no one noticed.

Doing exactly what the good Ranger said not to, I went back to my birch tree. Though I was disgusted by the corpses, I knew my dragon had to eat. Besides, Akuma was injured. Some good old food would do her well while they healed. My potions would be used when I needed them.

Dragging one of the burnt Bidoof away from the entire tree, I released Akuma a few meters away. I whistled twice, then stomped. The Deino spun around and started sniffing the air. Suddenly barring her fangs, she rushed forward as I held up the Bidoof corpse for her.

"Here you go. Smoked Bidoof, just for you, Akuma." Just before she bit into the corpse, she stopped. Maybe it was a bit too soon. "It's dinner. Go ahead and eat!"

Jumping around the Bidoof, Akuma snarled at me. Instead of being scared, I reached a hand around and touched her head. With quick reflex, I pulled my hand back before it was bitten off. Deciding it was time to start the harsh parts of training, I recalled Akuma. She could wait until next meal time, when she accepted her meals from me.

Going back to the birch tree, I shooed away a Murkrow. They began to gather and peck at the decomposing bodies. As some of the Bidoof were still usable, I decided to skin them. If they had beaks pecked through, they would be worthless. They had to be worth something.

It was a hard task, my knife slipping from the blood and my nerves. It was gross and I nearly vomited again, but since I had already done so, nothing would come up.

After several minutes, I finally tugged the skins free of the body before gagging again. Watching a Deino eating was probably a better sight than this. The sight of muscles and organs of the Bidoof was hard to unsee. Wiping of the blade in the grass, I couldn't bring myself to skin another one.

Leaving the Bidoof to the Murkrows, I started towards the forest. I was alert the whole time, expecting a new and terrifying attack. But, as I came close to the forest, I found there was hardly a reason to attack me. My trap had worked!

Unfortunately, I could tell by the panicked flapping of wings, I was going to have to finish off the job. Why wasn't it dead, though?

As I looked to the tree, I saw a Pidove caught by it's wing and feet. Of course. What other Pokemon was dumb enough to fall for this trap? But releasing it would be a loss for me, and I came to a single conclusion.

Pulling out my knife, I close my eyes and swung. In truth, I kept an eye open as to not miss. The blade connected and slit the bird's throat. I tried to puke again at the sight of blood, but only a small amount of acid came up. I hated puking...

Still, I had a dead Pidove. It was proof enough I could hunt for meals for both Akuma and I. I just hoped Akuma liked what I caught.

* * *

 **Well, now that I'm tired, I think I'll leave it here for now. Time to curl up and sleep on my Deino pillow. Night!**

 **Also, as of now, I am in school. Started on the 6th of September. Any chapters past this will hardly come out as quickly as these two.**

 **Last thing, I'm gonna steal MetalDargon's ideas again.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Lorano; NOREGISTRY**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino


	3. Fame for Two

**Guys, school is great. I get to learn two whole languages... at the same time. True, I can already speak basic German. But try taking a second year French course without knowing French. Yeah...**

 **Anyways, I found time in between classes and at home to write this. Remember, if you enjoy, it really does help to review the story. It means a lot to me.**

* * *

Two weeks had passed since that day. My mother was shocked at the blood on my clothes, but I had at least hide my scars with it. Most was from Bidoof and the Pidove, but some was human blood. The man I'd saved made a healthy recovery and was even in the news. It also gave several warnings to be careful out in the wild, as anything could happen.

If anything, the warnings were a worry for new trainers. Of course, nothing would stop me. Not even my parents. Well, my father still didn't care what I did. He just wanted me to be gone in two months. And I think I was making good progress, if I do say so myself.

Akuma listened to the call I gave when it was time to eat. She still attacked me, but she'd eat first because she knew she wouldn't be able to afterwards.

Her diet mainly consisted of Pidgey, Pidove, Pachirisu, and the occasional Bidoof that wandered near. Most of them were the results of my skills.

When I was out, I spent three to four hours with Akuma. She quickly learned about the surroundings, bumping into the tree and the ground. I didn't let her get too far from me, but I never got too close.

Though she ate regularly, she would always eat more if she could. She was such a greedy Deino. There were some days I let her be, but others I tried to talk to her. Nothing really in particular. But it helped pass the time while I was in the birch tree.

Being a Deino, she relied heavily on her remaining senses. It would be impossible for her not to listen to me with hearing like hers. It's not like she had anything to do, other than try to ambush me. Which was why I was in my tree most of the time.

The traps held together quite well for their quality, but I quickly found out Pokemon learned quickly where death would wait. I had to move the traps every time I caught a Pachirisu, as they began to mess with my traps rather than be strung up by their necks. Still, they were stupid enough to get caught in it the first time. By the end of the weak, I had three bird traps and two ground snares.

Not every trap triggered was a Pokemon captured. Sometimes they outsmarted the design and still ate the bait. Jams were useful as it was hard to steal as Pachirisu do, but Bidoof or Buizel will lick it up without triggering the trap. Most of the time. Buizel, with their inflatable collar, were able to survive the trap, but were still strung up all the same.

Bidoof, on the other hand, were stupid. Unbelievably so. As small as they were, at almost two feet, they were always chewing through the roping rather than the jam. All of it. When they did, I was occasionally left with a broken trigger and/or a ruined noose. There was the few times they bit the trigger rope first.

On top of that, when I did catch one, they always came back for more. No matter how many of them died, they still came to eat the grass fibers. I almost stabbed them in frustration when I caught one.

On the off chance I successfully caught a Pachirisu, I thanked their small necks for being as fragile as they were. Though it was sick and sadistic, I would rather not slit it's throat like I did with birds. I nearly vomited each time I did, but at least I didn't actually puke.

No matter the Pokemon, Akuma always accepted it as a meal. That was the whole reason I preformed the call. It was the same as a butler ringing a dinner bell. Once fed, I would quickly retreat into the branches to observe Akuma should she start to wander away. Which she tried a lot.

With the power to starve her, she began to understand what would happen should she try anything. She found that out after two and a half days without eating.

Still, I held some control over her. She would still attack me, but that means I could delay her feeding time until after I came down from the branches. I had to preform the dinner call every time, but she understood what punishment was.

It took a while, but on the fifteenth day, I made headway.

.

"Now, Akuma. If you attack me again, I'm not going to bring you your meal tomorrow. All I'm asking is help me. Then you can eat."

And, to my surprise, she stopped. She simply sat there, and though reluctant, she waited for me to tell her what to do. I was shocked at her acceptance. Still, the thing she valued most was her meals. Oh, how she loved to eat.

"O-okay, let's try some exercises, I guess? Let's, uh, see how well you work... for two Pidgey! Yeah." Directing her, while she was blind, she caught on to what I showed her to do. And she found a way to get around it.

Once I showed her to run in about a fifty meter dash, she started to run after me. I was worried she would attack me once she caught up, but she simply passed me. It wasn't noticeable at first, but using her speed against me, she began to shrink the course. We were soon running forty meters before I saw the same patch of dirt get further and further away.

Being blind, I knew she wouldn't see it. I started to figure out a way to use that against her.

On my next dash, I went a bit further, the dirt patch as my mark. It was gradual, but Akuma didn't notice as she was still trying to trick me. I let it slide, just for now...

By the time my dashes reached the dirt patch, I stopped running. Akuma rushed to her finish and stopped. Using her ears and nose, she looked towards me. Then a look of annoyance crossed her face. What I could see of it, at least.

I laughed, before she started a dash towards me. It was still a few meters from me, but her starting point was close enough to me for her to have already jumped before I had her Poke ball out.

With a stab of pain in my chest and shoulder, Akuma bit into my already bitten shoulder as she collided with me. I felt she had aimed for my throat, but her blindness had saved me. I clicked the button and returned her to her Poke ball. Hadn't I told her she'd get no meat tomorrow?

But she had done the exercise! Though she'd resorted to cheating, it was still more than she'd done a week ago. Wiping my forehead of sweat, I decided it was time to go home. With Akuma in her Poke ball, she'd have plenty to think on until tomorrow.

Looking at my shoulder, I saw it wasn't bleeding as much as I thought it should. The bite... wasn't that deep. Did the exercises exhaust her? Still, I held the torn cloth on my shoulder to the wound. Picking up my bag from the tree, I started my journey home.

.

"Why do you always have to come home covered in blood? Let me see it." Pulling off my shirt, I let my mother see the wound. I hoped the blood hid the severity, but if it wasn't as I thought... "Jojo, could you get me a rag?"

"You still working with that devil of a Deino? Looks like you got it under perfect control." Of course. My father. Why did he always have to be this way. As he walked through the room, he tossed my mother the rag she'd asked for.

"Of course I do. Who said this wound is from Akuma?" This happened every time I came home. Either he's drunk and mocks me, or he mocks me and then gets drunk.

"Those teeth marks don't look like a Pachirisu. But don't worry! You've only got two more months to pass that test. Plenty of time..." He walked out of the room laughing. My hand itched to cover the marks on my shoulder, but Mother batted my hand away when I did.

I winced every time she wiped away blood. Since the bite was still bleeding, though slower than before, she had to keep cleaning the wound. After resorting to simply holding the towel there, she went to get a bowl or bucket of water. I held the once blue towel there as it turned a darker shade of red.

Once she'd returned, the bleeding had stopped, but the scabs were still fresh. She rinsed the towel in the water, letting the clear liquid to be tainted and polluted. With a package of gauze at the ready, she used the 'cleaned' towel to clean the wound before spraying a disinfectant and wrapping the gauze around the stinging wound.

The bite was only seven or eight centimeters wide, but she wrapped the gauze around my chest and my arm. Yes, it covered the entirety of the wound, as the instructions stated. But this was a little... overboard.

"Okay, now move your arm. No, your other one! The one with the bite." Moving my arm, I did feel pain, but it the movement was hardly restricted. "Good. Now you can still use your arm. Just make sure not to over do it. Okay?"

"Yes, Nurse Joy." I smiled before heading to my room. My smile faded entirely once I closed the door. Business time.

I realized I knew nothing about the actual training of Pokemon. Yes, I had assumed much until this point. But it was a gut feeling. It was something I felt was right. But during that moment Akuma allowed me to command her, I froze.

With an extensive library online, I could easily amend this blunder. All it took was one simple search. And that's when I found millions of results. People wrote blogs, essays, and reports on how they trained their Pokemon, each in their own individual ways. And many of them were really stupid.

None of the first page's results showed any signs of actually training, though. Each one either had their other Pokemon instill discipline or they simply recorded their journey without many important details. Hardly helpful.

On the third page of results and half an hour later, I finally found something that was actually helpful. It was a small and fairly small site, but it had a few poor quality tutorials on how some guy was training his Pokemon. It was obviously a testing more than an actual tutorial.

As the videos went on, it went from cringe to bearable. The quality of the video was better, but at least the guy didn't drop his Pokedex while recording. After almost forty minutes of video, I found a video on this site that showed what I wanted.

"Hey, guys. I've been getting a few messages saying they don't have a Pokemon like me. Some might even have the Pokemon, but no knowledge on training their Pokemon. So, that's what I'm going to show you today. So, follow me into the world of Pokemon!"

The man behind the Pokedex camera began walking as the same intro rolled. It showed past events and achievements. I recognized some of them as they flashed by. Finally it faded into an image of a forest.

"Okay, so here I am in Veridian Forest. I'm not really looking for any really rare Pokemon or I'd be here all day, but I will show you how to catch one. Also remember this. It's always advised to be with a partner. As you can see," he said, panning to a Pidgeot. "I have my partner right here. Now, let's find that Pokemon."

A few small clips played and it was all pointless stuff. Failed catches of Caterpie and Wurmple. He even found a Nincada above ground, but it quickly fled under ground. Finally, another clip began to play.

"Alright. I can feel it. This one is the one. Now, here as you can see, is a Pikachu. They are pretty rare here, but they can be quite the little shocker. As you all know, Red himself beat the Elite Four and the Champion with one. Let's try and capture it." The man pulled out a more advanced Poke ball, this one blue with red stripes.

With a nod to his Pidgeot, he began his creep towards the Pokemon. Pidgeot stayed in it's roost in the branches above. As he neared the electric mouse, it noticed him. Turning from on two feet to all four, it started sparking. I, the audience, could not see the catcher, but heard his breath catch.

"Okay, time to use some _dirty_ tactics," he whispered. Suddenly, a cloud of sand and dirt exploded and hit the Pikachu. As the crackle of electricity arcing in the air began, a flash of white and red sucked the Pikachu away in the ball. As the ring was replaced with green, the host positioned the Pokedex camera to show him and the ball.

"So, that's about it. If you can see that, the red ring is turning green. Once you've got a full green ring, you're safe. Look," he said as he picked up the ball. "Perfect catch. Using a Pokemon tactic with the sand and dirt, I blinded the Pokemon before striking. It's a useful tactic with smaller Pokemon, but not really on flying types. They can easily blow away or get above the cloud. But now I should show you how to train a Pokemon."

The scene faded as the man started walking out of the forest. It was replaced with a bright clearing and the camera was positioned in a tree. It was obvious when he started talking that the trainer was wearing a microphone.

"Alright. Many of you are new trainers. So, that means no Pokemon to train the newer ones to listen to you. So, for educational purposes, I've positioned my Pidgeot to be above should anything attack, but to not interfere in the training. If you can see over there, I've also set up a camp. I'll be here for about a week for a little Pikachu." To the right, a green tent was erected with a small pit for fires and a clothes line.

"Alright. I'm ready. Arm steady, you should aim to release the Pokemon a fair distance." The Pikachu instantly materialized ten meters away. Basic stuff. What really made me laugh was the bolt of electricity that struck the man as he tried to recall the Pikachu.

On the up side, Pidgeot swooped down and picked up the Pikachu before it could escape and used it's Poke ball for it's trainer. For the trainer himself, he was knocked unconscious from the electricity. Due to this being published footage, I knew the man wasn't dead.

After a brief cut, the video returned to him with a more... electrified look. His hair was standing up in some places and burned in others. His chest also had a burn through the shirt and into his chest.

"Tips on training electric types. Remember they have ranged attacks. I'm gonna go sleep this one off."

I laughed as it went through the training, as it did have comedic moments, but I also learned that I should always be cautious around Pokemon. Any stronger attack and he'd have died. He was lucky the bolt had only knocked him out.

"Alrighty. Time to get to actual training." I saw that his chest was bandaged like my arm and I winced at it. "So, with this tree branch here, I'll use it to absorb the attacks. Now..." Releasing the Pikachu again, the same reaction occurred. Holding up said tree branch, he was prepared. As the electricity jumped through the air, it was caught with the tree branch and, though burned, did not transfer to it's wielder.

"Now, Pikachu! I have decided to name you Steven. Listen to me and I can give you something you never had. Strength. Strength you'll never... Oh, crap." As he was talking, the Pikachu named Steven bolted forward with extreme speed. Using his tree branch, the trainer host blocked the attack. However, it was also broken.

Resorting to force, he cast aside the branch and instead punched the Pikachu down into the ground. Like, actually smashed it into the ground. As it's squeaking was heard, the man shouted at it.

"I'm trying to help you! You think you're strong?! Well I'm stronger! Why? It's because I've dealt with Pokemon brats like you! You think you're any better? No, and now those same Pokemon brats would wipe the floor thanks to me! If you would listen, I'd tell you how!" Literally subdued, Steven the Pikachu could hardly do anything. If it tried to use it's electric abilities, the trainer quickly stopped it with more force and pressing it further into the dirt.

Like a miracle, the Pikachu stopped resisting. Slowly, he released the pressure on Steven. It rose up and sat back on it's two feet. I judged it to be at the same level of Akuma. Now is the part I had to listen...

"Okay, the first thing to becoming strong, little Steven, is to improve what you've already have. As a Pikachu, you have speed and range above power. It's not that you need more power than you need more agility and target practice." Turning it's head, the Pikachu did not do as he said. Without more power training, Steven wouldn't listen.

With agility expected of a master, the trainer slapped the Pikachu. It was knocked over and sent a foot. Rising in anger, electricity sparking, I was reminded of Akuma's reaction. Her bite on my shoulder sparked in pain for a moment.

"Really? After I told you the secrets? If you're going to be like that, I have no use for you. And the Pokemon I have no use for, I feed to wild Ursaring." With a squeak of fear, Steven quickly calmed down and stood at the ready. Fear and threat? It appeared to be working, but I wondered how well I could use this same tactic on Akuma.

"Okay, if it's power you want, you need to use every ounce of electrical power. Show me what you've got on... that tree over there." Pointing opposite the camera, I watched as the Pikachu used a massive electrical bolt on the tree. And continued using it. It wasn't as powerful as the Pokemon who could control the thunder clouds themselves, but it was still powerful.

When the Pikachu stopped, it was breathing heavily. The tree was left with a bright and glowing burn mark.

"Again." What? It was already exhausted, and you want it to keep going? Obeying, it used a smaller, but still effective bolt on the tree. When it stopped, Steven was on the ground. "Again."

Responding with squeaks and _pika_ s, Steven leapt up. It was obvious why. It couldn't keep going. It was hard enough for it to do it once, much less twice.

"If you can have the energy to resist me, you definitely have the energy to shock the tree until it falls or bursts into flames. Whichever comes first."

Grumbling in it's Pika way, Steven started shocking the tree again. The attacks were not as powerful as the first or second, but it was definitely still exhausting. The trainer walked towards the Pokedex camera.

"So, I'll be here for the next while. As I said before, I week should be plenty of time to train this little Steven. I'll be back when he's trained. After the week, he himself should see he's stronger than before. I'll also take him through some Agility practice and some target practice at varying ranges. You should all know how to do that. Be right back."

The scene faded out. Of course I knew how to do Agility training. I did it with Akuma earlier and received a bite for it. I rubbed my shoulder.

"Okay, guys. I found out something a bit embarrassing. I did not notice that Steven's tail was curved as it was. Turns out Steven is a girl. But since she already accepts Steven as her name, I'm keeping it as that. Speaking of which..." He reached down and picked up Pikachu and put her on his shoulder. "How's it going, buddy?"

Spreading her small arms, the Pikachu looked happy. After seeing her almost killed by ground in the last clip, it was surprising she was so happy. After seeing the results, she probably felt the whole thing was more her fault rather than his. Still, it was amazing in just a week he had a Pikachu for his team. I had spent two weeks to get where he was within a few minutes.

After a few clips of him battling with the Pikachu, the video ended. True, it was kind of motivational, but it was still something I hadn't expected. I knew I wouldn't do exactly what he did, but he did teach me something. Use what you already have.

It gave me a lot to plan. What did Akuma already have? She was powerful, in both ranged and close combat. She was young, so it wasn't expected she have many attacks and skills. Her speed was faster than mine, so what did she lack and what did she have?

The best I could come up with within an hour. Have spent two and a half hours in my room, I grew bored as the sky began to grow dimmer in the fading summer. Checking the time, it was only six in the afternoon. Dinner would be in an hour, but my stomach rumbled.

Sinking back into my chair, I began to write down my findings so far. It was mostly possibilities and thoughts on Akuma, but it was more than enough to clear my head. Even though she was fairly well rounded in strengths, training was still necessary to show my methods worked. Maybe some target practice with her ranged attacks and some sensory exercises?

I poked around with some training programs I could do, but some required more than I could spend. Rather, I couldn't spend anything as I had nothing. From a few strength programs to simply running laps. I'd have to mark a set ring for laps, but that was extra.

Being without sight, I settled with training her perception to 'see' in a way. It was obvious she could already tell certain directions and position by simply listening, but it required concentration. My idea was basically meditation and tracking, but to command Akuma like that... That would probably come later.

After I was mostly content with my decisions, I heard my mother calling my name. Time for dinner...

.

It was about ten in the morning when I returned to the birch tree. I held a rare Hoothoot from one of my traps. There was a bit of blood from where I had stabbed it through the heart. It was easier than slitting the throat, as well as cleaner.

When I held up my Poke ball, I took a deep breath and quickly reviewed the plan. It was a risk, but I would take it for progress. I pushed the button and released Akuma. Preforming the call, I held out the bird in my hand.

"Hey, girl. I've got for you a rare treat. It's a Hoothoot, just for you." Sniffing the air, Akuma began to approach me. Once she was less than a foot from me, I moved her meal closer to the ground for her. "Here you go."

Cautious, she reached forward before snatching it out of my hand. Once it was within her clutches, she began to devour the bird meat. It was gruesome and messy. I turned away as blood occasionally splashed me. I felt my stomach turn every time a drop hit.

Though I was usually in my tree by now, I was determined to stay by Akuma. If she realizes I'm still here, she might expect more food. But I had none to give. None than I could willingly give, at least.

Akuma snapped though bones to find more meat, but found them all to be cleaned. Sniffing around, she suddenly looked towards me.

She realized I was still here.

With blood covering her fur and mouth, she looked menacing. Almost as if bearing death itself. I swallowed the fear in my throat and began to stretch out my hand. She... she should trust me, now that she's eaten. Probably.

It was out of caution that both of us were hesitant to approach one another. Akuma paused when she heard my movements toward her, causing me to freeze in panic. When nothing happened, I exhaled and stretched out my clenched hand towards her again. I would show her I wasn't scared of her. Not yet. She would see we could work together.

When my fingers met her dirty fur, she jumped back and growled. But she calmed down quickly after realizing nothing had happened to her. I crawled slowly toward her, with her response being to get lower to the ground in case she had to run.

I carefully pressed my hand against her head, as I'd done before. She growled, but soon accepted it with uncertainty. It wasn't hurting her, so why worry? Still, she was very uneasy with my being so close. I was as well, her blood-cover face was so close to me, but this was what she was...

It was something she needed rather than wanted, but I knew the look of a Pokemon was a lot. Giving her a bath might not interest her much, but maybe it would help us bond? Still, it could wait... First, training, then bath.

Hopefully Mom wouldn't get mad at me.

"Alright, Akuma. You ready to run? This time I'm gonna keep an eye on you. No cheating." Understanding passed between us and Akuma retreated with her head held in pride. "Let's just run in a circle, alright? Follow my path, okay?"

Without waiting for a sign from Akuma, I started my jog. It was just a lap around the birch tree. It wasn't huge, but it did go for about thirty meters before turning. And hot on my heels was a Deino.

Making turns, I felt like I could only do a few laps. I knew I never was the sportiest, but I thanked my gym class and Judo for the strength.

Akuma caught on like last time, but she seemed to follow the same path I ran. Though she was blind, it was amazing that she ran without fear. I knew I could use it against her in many ways, but it would have been too cruel to her.

Once my breathing had reached a ragged level, I stopped and tried to catch my breath. It was almost like that one kid who forgot his inhaler.

Running past with tons of energy was Akuma, racing along the track I had made. Still, it was funny how she occasionally veered off course. Her senses relied on my track, after all.

It took a few minutes, but I eventually was able to breath steadily again.

"Akuma, that'll do." She didn't listen as she raced by. This was a game for her, I assumed. And I knew how difficult it was to drag a kid away from their games. "Akuma! Stop!" She still kept running.

Pulling out her Poke ball, I began to race after her. My legs already felt like jelly, but it didn't matter right now.

I could almost see her smiling at me when she looked back at me. Even though she only heard my footsteps, she knew I was chasing her.

Being faster than me, she only had to keep right out of my range. What she forgot was the Poke ball and it's reach. Aiming the laser while running was difficult and it took a few tries, but I finally got her.

Sinking to the ground, I held the Poke ball to my chest. Why did you have to do this to me, Akuma? My chest was rising and falling rapidly. I could even hear my heart pulsing in my ears! I knew I would be here for a while...

.

It took a long rest, a well deserved nap to recover. Rubbing my eyes, I yawned as I awoke from my dreamless sleep. A bit confused, I wondered where I was. Brushing the grass off my face, I pushed a Budew off.

In my hand was my Poke ball, luckily still containing Akuma. I sighed and thanked Arceus no Pokemon had released her. Of course, I probably wouldn't be here anyways if they had.

Standing up, I pushed the Poke ball into my bag. I yawned again and rubbed my legs. The muscles were stiff and probably torn from the run. And I still needed to give Akuma a bath. Groaning, I began my trek home after only a run and a nap.

.

Father and mother were both outside with the crops when I got home. Sneaking past them, I carefully extracted myself from my work. Of course, I did have a dragon to bath, too. But does that count as work?

Walking upstairs, I was a bit nervous about releasing Akuma in the house. Her draconic abilities were powerful, capable of making a crater in the ground. It made me shudder, thinking if she used that inside.

"Okay... Gotta stay calm..." Clicking the button, I released Akuma. She appeared in the usual flash, and almost instantly face planting on the slick tile.

She complained at the floor and tried scratching it with nonexistent claws. Once she found her attacking had no effect did she notice I was there.

"Akuma? You might not like this but it's time for a bath. Okay? Just... stay calm." She turned her head sideways in confusion. She also listened for the whistles I made at meal times as her tongue was slightly hanging.

Once I pulled the handle, I plugged the hole in the bath as she jumped back in fear. Just what sorcery was this noise?

"Calm down, Akuma! It's just water. You know? Drink some!" Stepping towards her, I tried to pull her towards the noise, but she was like a cat. Still, it was more the noise that scared her.

Turning it down lower, I slowed the flow of water enough to calm down Akuma. She still wasn't completely comfort around me. Trapped in a small room with me and a strange noise I controlled, she was frightened.

"See? It doesn't hurt me," I said, stepping into the bath. It was a little cold, seeping into my socks. "Come here and I'll show you. I won't hurt you." Taking a handful of water, I splashed some on her. She growled and tried to snap the water out of the air.

Still, no harm was done. The water had reached my ankles by now and was getting warmer. It should be enough to wash the small two foot dragon. Taking off the soggy socks, I tossed them into the sink. Turning towards the sound, Akuma started to back away from the sink, into the corner.

"Akuma, it's alright. It's just water. Just trust me." I got out of the bath and walked towards the shaking Deino. Unfortunately, I forgot she was blind and relied on the sounds. With the sound of slapping footsteps, Akuma growled at me and I saw the muscles tense in her legs.

"Hey! Don't be scared! It's just me. No one else. Alright?" I slowly began creeping forward again. Though she was still bearing her teeth, I was allowed to come into touch distance. Reaching out, I wrapped my arms underneath her forelegs and lifted her up.

Panicking, she tried to twist her head around to bite me as I walked her closer to the bath. Right at the lip of the bath, she swung her head back. Her fur horn stabbed into my hair before her skull collided with mine.

Gasping in pain, I nearly dropped her into the water. That would not end well. Most likely results, she would feel betrayed.

"C-calm down, Akuma! It's just me! Now..." Slowly, I lowered her down into the water. "Please don't freak out?" The Deino's back leg touched the surface of the water.

"See," I ask, putting her down on all four, the water halfway up her legs. As soon as she realized it was water, she instantly calmed down. Leaning down, she began drinking the water. The blood around her mouth began dyeing the water pink.

"Alright. Now do you know what I'm doing? No harm done." Taking a wash cloth from the rim of the bath, I soaked it in the water before bringing it to Akuma's neck. Jumping away, she growled at the rag. "Still just me. You're messy, you know?"

Still cautious of me, she didn't let me touch her with the cloth. I tried twice, but the last try resulted in me dodging her fangs. Don't like me still, huh?

"C'mon, Akuma. You've got blood on your face. You don't want anyone seeing you like this, do you?" I felt a bit embarrassed when I remembered she couldn't see...

Still afraid of me, Akuma did not entirely trust me. Who knows what I could be trying to do to her? Of course, it's just a slimy wet rag. The worst I could do was whip her, but I'd never do that. She'd kill me if I did.

I switched off the water, as the level reached to her upper leg and her under side. Using my hand, I dripped water over her head. I could see her ears twitching underneath the fur. Using the water, I began rubbing off the dried blood.

Though she tried to stop me at first, I think she began to enjoy it. She would never let me see the joy she felt. She was too proud for that. Still, she didn't resist much afterwards. Training was going well, in my eyes.

"Alright, Akuma. You're better now. I'll comb your fur later once I have a brush for you. Mom won't like you for using hers." Grabbing a towel from the wall, I made sure it wasn't one we usually used. Her black and blue fur would be a dead give away.

Drying her off, she didn't understand what it was, but at least it wasn't a slimy wet cloth. The furry and soft cloth was better, akin to motherly care. Still, Akuma never had a mother. Is that why she was growing closer to me, in such a short amount of time?

Once she was mostly dry, I held up her Poke ball. "Okay, Akuma. Time for you to go back into your ball. But I'll make sure to bring you some more meat later, huh?"

Sad, I knew that she wouldn't feel the same time I did. The Poke ball would allow her to not feel the passage of time. Some said it stopped time altogether, but most said it halved to quartered the distorted time. It was much more reasonable for the later theory. I clicked the button and retrieved my Deino before I heard my mother.

"Are you up there in the bathroom? You didn't say anything when you came home."

"Uh, yeah! I was kinda dirty, so I had to take a quick shower. I, uh, still have to get dressed..."

"Alright, well I'm going to the store for dinner. Do you want to go with me?"

"N-no thanks, Mom! I've got to do some stuff for training tomorrow!"

"I'll be back later than! Bye!" I exhaled my held breath and started to peel off my soaked clothes. Grabbing my own towel, I began to dry myself off. That was a close call. Bringing an untrained Deino inside the house might have been against the rules...

.

After a month of exercising, I found the Akuma grew much closer to me. She stopped trying to attack me, but she did have pride issues. As an aggressive dragon, she did have her position. With her growth in power, she also grew in height. She rose up two whole inches, not including her faux horn.

My arm also healed, leaving a set of small scars. It didn't look as bad as my forearm, but it was still a scar. I tried not to show Akuma or my parents, but they already knew about them. It was hard to hide when she checked my arm for progress.

Akuma didn't earn much battling experience, other than the occasional target practice I held. It was quite the exercise, competing with her accuracy. To keep from destroying my special Birch tree, I set up an area near. We destroyed a few trees during practice...

Since she didn't get injured, I also kept all two of my potions. It helped save money, even if I never bought one. It saved me from buying more.

One thing that confused me about Akuma... Although she had her draconic explosive attack, which we used for target practice, she never displayed a fiery attack. Dragons were known for their destructive flame breath, so I was confused why she wasn't spewing fire already.

On top of that, the food I fed to Akuma also earned me a bit of cash. By skinning and taking certain parts from Pokemon I killed, though it sickened me, it allowed me something to sell to the Pokemon Guild. In total, I received about two thousand Poke dollars.

Though it sounded like I had quite the wallet, it was only enough for a few things. Maybe a few Poke balls or potions, but as a responsible trainer, I only bought a chocolate bar. Or three.

Only though it was halfway to the deadline, I decided it was time. Akuma was strong and did listen to me, but I had to see if she would accept meeting a new human. It was, after all, one of the main requirements to become a trainer.

And so, after feeding and watering Akuma, making sure to wash the blood away, I retrieved her. This was her grand debut after all. I fumbled with the orb in my pocket while I asked my mother and father.

"Mom? Dad? I've got something really important to ask you."

"Yeah, sure. Ask away, kiddo." I smiled at my mom before waiting for father. He didn't say anything.

"Well... I'd like to ask you to meet my Pokemon. She's really playful and stuff once you know her, but I don't know how she'll react. So... will you still meet her?"

"If you're confident in her, then yes. Because I believe in you." My mother winked at me, which gave me confidence.

"You can leave me out. I have no interest in meeting any Pokemon. But, have fun with that ridiculous Deino. Probably can't even control it..." Why? Why, Father? Couldn't you just have a little faith in me?

"You don't have to meet his Pokemon, but I will. You don't have to be rude about it, Jojo." Getting out of the chair, Mother walked out of the living room. Following her, I grabbed my shoes. Together, we walked outside.

"So, where are you planning to show me your Akuma? You know you can't release your Pokemon in town, right?" I'd almost forgot! Not being a league-recognized Trainer, I couldn't release Akuma. That's partially why I trained her out of town, but also because I couldn't trust her around other people.

"Well, I could take you to where I've been training her, but it's a while away..."

"If it's for you, it would be fine. Besides, I was a trainer before. I can walk that far any day." Even though I didn't forget, that was quite a few years ago. Hopefully she was right about that...

Setting off, I lead the way towards the birch tree in the light of the dying sun. It was getting late, as well as cold in the coming winter. I almost regretted not bringing a scarf or a hat. My hoodie did only enough to abate the shivering temperatures.

"Do you really go this far every day? Just how far is this training grounds of yours?" I looked at my mother to see her breathing heavier than when we started. I laughed internally since she obviously didn't get as much exercise as she thought.

"Not much further. It's just outside the city limits. About a kilometer from our house." True, my heart was pounding and I was breathing quickly, but it was more from nerves.

Once we passed the usual buildings, I saw my birch tree there. I felt the Poke ball heavy in my pocket, even at the size of a regular jawbreaker. I ran the last few meters to the tree.

"Here we are, Mom! This tree... this is my training area. Now, if you could just... stay back for a moment? Akuma won't recognize your voice or footsteps, so I should probably warn her in advance." Taking my advice, she nodded and took a few steps back. I held up the Poke ball and clicked the button on the ball.

"Hey there, girl. Remember I told you I would introduce you to some people today? Well, I brought her with me. Behind me is my mother. She's friendly. Not food." Petting her head, I was careful to keep a hand on her head. "Wanna say hi, Mom?"

"Um, hey there, Akuma." Surprised by another voice, Akuma dropped down to pounce. With my hand on her, it was the only reason she hadn't already attacked.

"Calm down. She's friendly. No biting." A bit concerned, my mother took a step back. "Hold on. She's alright. You're a friendly. She understands that, right?" I poked her shoulder. Rising up, she stopped growling.

"You're sure she's calm? She seems a little untrusting."

"Of course she is. She isn't used to people or Pokemon. Being blind, she's never really been able to recognize friends or foes. I am, I guess, her eyes." Opening her mouth, Akuma made a strange noise. "See? She agrees." I hope that's what that means.

"I can see that you've got it under control, but she is bit scary. I don't know if I would ever try training one. I hope you'll be able to keep it under control. You've seen their evolved forms, right?" The vision of the three headed dragon came to mind. I shuddered at the thought of what it could do to me.

"I think that Akuma will be able to recognize my voice, even in her evolved form. That is the only way she knows me." She jabbed her horn into my cheek, bending it rather than doing damage. Why did she know just how to be cute? I pat her head and rubbed her fur for her delight.

"It's very difficult to judge how Pokemon will act in the future. But... I hope you'll be alright, okay? You too, little Akuma." She looked from her to me. "So... when are you planning to take the test? And how do you plan to get to Jubilife?" Right, the testing center wasn't here in Floaroma. Jubilife was the starting location of many trainers. Still, there probably wouldn't be many applicants as it was almost Winter.

"Well, I guess the fastest way would be by train, but-"

"I'll buy you a ticket when we get home. It's... I guess it will be our goodbye gift. You should be able to handle the test on your own. And remember to study, just in case."

"Right. I guess you've met Akuma now. Sorry girl. You've gotta stay inside for a while. I'll make sure to feed you before the test, alright?" Clicking the button, Akuma vanished into the ball in my hand. I shrunk the orb and stored it in my pocket.

"It's nice to see you've bonded well with her. I'm surprised you managed this much in only two months."

"Thanks, Mom. I did use the internet to study a lot, though." I stood up and brushed off my knees of dirt. Taking the sign as a hint to leave, we began the journey home. It was getting dark, after all.

"I hope you'll be safe," she said again. "I don't know what I would do if you got hurt."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll be fine. I've spent months preparing for the wilderness. With Akuma with me, I should be fine. She can hear anyone or thing approaching." We entered Floaroma as we talked. I was excited to begin the adventure, even if my wallet was not. I felt it sadly sitting in my satchel.

"Well, I would still feel better if you had someone else to go with you. Are you sure you don't want to wait?"

"Mom, you know as well as I do I've only got one more month left. Plus. the longer I wait, the fewer trainers will be there. If I even wanted to team up with someone, no one will be there in the Winter."

"Yeah, you're right. Well, no stopping you now. Here's to passing the test first try." I bumped my arm to her's, a symbol of good luck.

"Knowing my studies, I should be fine."

"You nearly failed your last year of school."

"Mom!" Though she was true, that didn't mean I fail. I did study for the tests, including this one.

"You know I'm messing with you. I know you'll be fine. Anyone who's been studying like you have should have no problem with that exam. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't study before your test."

"I know. I'll try a little. Should just be a bit of survival and Pokemon Biology stuff. I passed in the top percent of my class with those."

"Right. Well, we're here." Turning at our house, my mother pulled out a key and unlocked the door. With the Automatic Curfew Locks, a key was required to get in after sundown. Just as advertised on TV! Still, I had a key in my wallet just for this.

Walking inside, I slipped out of my shoes. Doing the same, my mother went into the kitchen to start on dinner. Of course, Dad was no where to be seen. He was probably either drunk or caring for his tools in the garage, as we didn't see him with his crops. I didn't really care, though. I wouldn't have to see him for a long while once I left...

.

After a dinner of Mareep and vegetables, I went upstairs to sort my things. I had only a small satchel to carry things in, but I only needed a few things, such as a pair of clothes or three. It wouldn't be light, but at least it wasn't like those giant and expensive hiker bags.

It was after I tried to add a few hats that I began to see trouble. I could only bring one, I decided. But I had twelve to choose from. It was almost like a teenage girl's collection of clothes, but they all had certain meanings. One of them was even signed by the last gym leader of Pastoria city.

Deciding on my blue one, from a water Pokemon convention, I looped it through the strap of my bag. Yawning, I finished shoving my junk into the bag. It was difficult to feel sleepy, but I was still tired from walking to the birch tree and back. Twice. Not to mention training with Akuma for an hour.

Changing into my night clothes and putting my stuffed bag on the ground, I fell into bed. Even though I wasn't planning on sleeping, the calls of my pillow were as sweet and luring as ever. It's wishes commanded me and I fell to sleep...

...

 _The cheer of crowds was deafening and Pokemon shrank back from the noise. Two trainers faced each other and crossed arms. They then linked their Pokedex before retreating to their respective sides. A voice of a commentator could be heard, but it was so loud it was hard to understand._

 _Holding out two Pokeballs each, both trainers released two Pokemon. On the blue side, it was a Gallade and a Gengar. For the Red, he had a Venusaur and an Umbreon. It was an impressive lineup from both of them, each counteracting each other. The two took their stances and waited for the signal to begin._

 _With a shot from a blank, both trainers shouted out commands for their Pokemon. The red side used ranged attacks, a barrage of sharpened leaves and a pulse of darkness. The blue sent a barrage of psychic blades and the Gengar sank into the ground. Sneaking up behind the Umbreon, the Fairy's shadow raked it's back with phantom claws._

 _Each taking the attacks, the Gallade was forced back from the pulse of darkness while defending against the leaves. The Venusaur had four bleeding lines across it's face and side. It retaliated with an explosion of poisonous spores. Umbreon jumped through the shadows and chased the Gengar as it laughed maniacally. The sound was a mix between a scream and a growl._

 _The green and white knight launched an electric wave across the entire field and washed across the Venusaur. The two shadow Pokemon were too busy jumping in and out of existence to be caught by the shock wave. Being a plant, the electricity had little effect compared to the psychic prowess of the Gallade._

 _Using the main abilities of it's line, the Gallade lifted the giant flower quadruped into the air before a poisonous liquid began leaking out of it. It roared in pain, but it had no grips to escape. In desperation to help, the Umbreon used a bite of dark fangs. It made the Gallade incapable of teleporting, even as it tried._

 _Using it's fists, the Gallade smashed into the cat's head. With an almost audible crack over the roaring crowds, the Umbreon was forced to the ground, unconscious. Turning back to the collapsed Venusaur, the Gengar had already began to advance when the Gallade launched another barrage of psychic blades._

 _Before either were able to hit the plant, the red trainer recalled both of his Pokemon, head hung in defeat with the score displayed on the giant screen above. He had lost._

 _Rising his hands in victory, the blue trainer recalled his Pokemon and advanced towards the middle of the field. Shaking hands, the announcer called out the results of the quick double battle..._

...

My mother was shaking me in the dark morning. It was still early, but the light of the sun was beginning to peak over the forest. I yawned and looked around in confusion. What was going on?

"C'mon. Time to wake up. Your train leaves for Jubilife in two hours. You ready for the next step in your journey?"

"Why so early?"

"It's the cheapest to buy tickets now. You understand why we did this?" I yawned again and pulled off the covers. My pants were uneven, one of the legs past my knee. My stomach was also showing before I pulled my shirt down. I rubbed my face and tried to wake myself up. Today was the day.

My mother walked out of my room once she was certain I was awake, not wanting to see me dress. As I grabbed my clothes, I made sure to also grab a scarf. It would be useful once winter was here. I changed quickly before shouldering my bag and going to the bathroom.

After taking care of business, I went downstairs. In my groggy morning form, I nearly tripped down the stairs. Catching myself with the guard rails, I went to eat a bowl of cereal. On the table was a note, as well as a few slips of paper. Of the paper, one was a train ticket. The rest was a few Poke dollar bills, equal to 250 dollars.

I sat down and poured out the golden flakes into the bowl and dumped Moomoo milk over it. Nummy and yummy cereal...

"Good to see you're up well. I remember trying to wake you up for school... You always were so close to being late several times." Mother came down the stairs, combing her hair with a brush. Good thing I didn't brush Akuma with that, huh?

"Well, today is the day I go to Jubilife. Of course I'm excited for it. And just how long is the train ride, anyways?" I shoved another spoonful of cereal in my mouth. It was just turning soggy, but still crunchy

"About three hours. It isn't fast or anything, but it's better than walking there. Shouldn't be too bad."

"It's only two hundred kilometers. But I could probably make it there within a week or so. Not too bad."

"Do you want to walk there?"

"N-no! You've already bought the ticket and all. I'll take the train."

"Smooth. Now eat your breakfast. You've got to leave soon. The station is across town, you know?" I nodded. I would be ready at any moment. I would not miss that train. Swear on my mother, I was going to get to Jubilife by lunch time. "And take this. You'll need it." She handed the ticket and money to me.

"Aren't you going with me? Why else would you be up so early?" I pocketed the paper.

"Hell no! I'm going back to sleep once you leave." Jeez. That was... honest. But I was a Pokemon Trainer now! I could get on a train by myself.

"Okay. I'm finished." I picked up my milk-filled bowl and dumped it in the sink. Going to the door, I slipped on my shoes and my hoodie. I could see today was going to be a bit chilly from the frost over the grass outside.

"You sure you've got everything? Clothes, snacks, money, and a map? You know where you're going?" Mom was leaning against the doorway into the dinning room.

"Yeah. Well, not a map, but I'll find one in Jubilife. Promise... I'll miss you, Mom." Herdier stretched as he walked into the room. "I'll miss you too, buddy. Hope you can have fun without me." I rubbed his head before he went over to my mother. He was my first companion. I nearly choked on the knot in my throat.

"We'll miss you too. Now get going! You'll miss your train!"

"Right," I managed out. "Bye." I opened the door and slipped out before I started silently crying. I rubbed the scars on my arm for comfort before running off toward the train station of Floaroma.

.

My tears had stopped flowing by the time I made it to the small station. It was mostly used for export of lumber, flowers, fruits, and berries. Still, there were trains used for passengers, but as there were only two major stops, only a few trains stopped here.

Luckily, I had a ticket for one train to Jubilife, leaving October 19th, 2064 at exactly 7.24. That's what it said on the ticket, at least. I wiped away the dried streaks on my cheeks and stepped inside. I only had ten minutes to board.

"Hey, son. You riding the train to Jubilife?" I looked towards the voice and saw a crowd waiting there. They looked almost like... homeless.

"Uh, yeah. Is there something wrong with the train?"

"Yessir. It's late, that's what. Supposed to leave in a few minutes and it ain't even here. Might as well wait with us."

"I'm fine, thanks. I think I'm, uh, gonna wait by the tracks."

"Whatever you say, Farmer Boy." Farmer... boy? How'd he know that name? It was the name my school mates gave to me, mocking me and my family. I steeled myself and remembered. I am a Pokemon Trainer. I can't lower myself, just to snap at these homeless. I walked out onto the platform with a shaking fist.

Looking to the tracks, I saw a train. Were they lying to me? Those bums were probably trying to cheat me out of my ticket, if anything. If they were homeless here, there was hardly any use in going to Jubilife, I thought in anger. Walking to the train, I confirmed the sign above said Jubilife. The time even matched my ticket. I scuffed the floor in disgust for those morons.

I quickly swung myself into the train. When I boarded, there was a man in a yellow vest waiting just inside. Nearly bumping into him, he stepped back.

"Woah there, kid. What's the hurry? Now, can I see your ticket?" I reached into my pocket and pulled out the manila colored ticket. Handing it to him, he stamped a big Electrike onto it before handing back to me. "Your seat is just down this hall. Third cabin." I nodded and passed the man.

"Woah, now. Do you have a ticket?" Looking behind me, one of the homeless had followed me.

"I'm with him."

"Do you have a ticket?" When the man didn't present one, the checker pushed him out of the train. "Come back when you can afford a seat. Filthy scum." I felt a pang of pity, but I shock my head before opening the door to my cabin.

Finding it empty, I sat near the window and took off my bag. I leaned back and yawned. I was really tired from waking up so early. I was just about to fall to sleep's embrace when the train began to move. With a hiss of gas, I nearly lurched out of my seat.

As I got a hold of myself and adjusted, I heard the door open. I turned to see a girl coming through. Her blonde hair, nice clothes? She was probably way out of my league.

"O-oh! I didn't see you there. Did you just get on?" When I heard her speak, I shook myself. She wasn't that pretty, but she was better than any girl I'd find in Floaroma.

"Um, yes. I was going to Jubilife."

"Obviously. So, where you from? You look like you're from either Snowpoint or from Hoenn."

"No, I'm from Floaroma. Nothing special."

"Hmm. Your parents must be foreign, then. I myself am from Snowpoint, but my family came from Hoenn fifty years ago. Soo... what brings you to Jubilife?"

"You know you can take a seat? It feels uncomfortable to talk while sitting down."

"I would, but, uh, you're, um, kinda in my seat. My luggage is above you." She pointed to the racks overhead. I saw a large backpack stored up there, the same blue as the room. No wonder I didn't see it.

"Sorry. I'll move. Didn't know anyone else was sitting here." I turned and moved to the seat across from me, still by the window, but in full view of the sun. The girl quickly took my spot and sat down.

"You still haven't answered my question," she said after a moment.

"Right! Well, I recently caught my first Pokemon. Going to take the Pokemon Trainer Exam." I held up Akuma's Pokeball with a flourish.

"Sweet! Me too. I caught my Pokemon just after graduation, but it's been a while since then. A full year, really. Haven't been able to find any teleport services or had the money to afford a ticket to Jubilife. But now I've got these two." The girl held up two Pokeballs. One was a blue variant, while the other was a green and black Pokeball.

"What kind of a Pokeball is that one," I asked, pointing to the latter one.

"This, my new friend, is called a Dusk ball. As the name says, works after Dusk. It's weird, but it works wonders. Especially on dark and ghost Pokemon. You should get one soon!" I scratched my hair in confusion. How could a Pokeball get stronger in darkness?

"How do they make Pokeballs like these? Aren't they made from Apricorns?" The girl laughed and put the strange Pokeball back.

"The newer Pokeballs are made out of metal. Only the more basic Pokeballs are made from apricorns anymore." Pokeballs... made from metal? How did that work? "So, what's your name? Mine's Sarah O'Perr." Distracting me from my thoughts, I answered with my own.

"Nice to meet you, Sarah. Which Pokemon do you have, if you don't mind me asking."

"I've got only the best. The one in the Great ball, he's Perry the Dedene. In my Dusk ball is Yami. She's a Sneasel. Might want to watch the claws, though." She's got some scary Pokemon. And both had a weakness for my Akuma, being a dragon.

"I've caught a Deino. She's just a young hatchling, but she's strong. Her name is Akuma."

"Akuma, huh? Sounds scary if it's a Deino. Still, I think my Yami will give you a run for your money." She sounded strong. On top of the weaknesses, Akuma was a hatchling. She wouldn't do too well until she could counter those disadvantages.

"Don't worry! I'm not a trainer either. No need to be so worried." She sat back and laughed. I joined in, though a bit nervous. Right... Without any Trainer ID, we couldn't even battle. I couldn't wait until we got to Jubilife city.

"So, Snowpoint, right? You don't look very warmly dressed for the north."

"Don't worry. My clothes are in my bag. Besides, it's warmer down here in the south. So, how long have you had your Deino?" She crossed her legs and pulled a gummy bear bag out of her pocket.

"I caught her about two months ago. I had help from my family's Herdier and Staravia, but I managed to catch her. How about your Yami and Perry?"

"Well, Perry's my starter. Yami was caught when I was out collecting firewood. My Dedene... I was given him by my friend. He was my... ex boyfriend. But that doesn't matter. He's still a little weak, but Yami is enough to make up for it." She had a boyfriend. Dang it! But... if she did, where was he?

"My Akuma, I think she's from the dragons that caused the hurricane last year. That's where her power come from. But, that's not to say she _is_ from the hurricane, though."

We began to discuss some Pokemon strategy. I quickly found out she was much smarter than I was, but she obviously lacked actual implementation of battles. Me, I didn't have much battling experience or knowledge, but I did have a basic understanding. At least it was enough to keep me awake all the way to Jubilife station.

.

"All passengers, we've arrived at Jubilife. Any passengers traveling to Oreburgh and further have half an hour before departure."

"Well? We're here. Wanna come with me to the testing center?" Sarah grabbed her bag from over head and looked to me.

"Uh, sure. I don't really know where it is, so lead the way, I guess." I grabbed my own satchel. Following her, I jumped off the train. We walked through the station and passed a few shops. Though my stomach growled, Sarah didn't hear. It was tempting to quickly buy a Miltank burger, but Sarah walked fairly quickly. It would be difficult to find her if I did buy one.

"So, do you think we could get a bite before we go take the test?"

"What are you imposing? We aren't going to actually take the exam. We're going to register first, then take the test. Not your first time dealing with officials, right?" Sarah continued to walk at her fast pace.

"We'll be in and out of there? Quick and easy? That's simple then." I wrapped my arms around my head and walked behind her.

"No, not really. It might take a while, but who knows? Maybe no one will be waiting?" So... we might have to wait for food? But I'm hungry...

"But... What if there are people? Wouldn't it be better to just eat before and be happy later? C'mon. Just a Miltank Burger? I see a shop right there. It'll only take a minute."

"C'mon! Let's just go register and eat later." But... burger... Struggling to hold back my hunger, I followed Sarah to the testing center. I held my stomach in despair.

As we walked down the street, I saw many tall buildings. Each one was taller than every single one was taller than any in Floaroma. I was surprised at how small I felt. How did anyone live with all these buildings hanging over them? It was almost crushing.

"How far is this testing center? I don't like these buildings, like they're about to fall on me." I crept closer to Sarah, almost cowering. We turned off the main street, built mainly for cars, and onto a cobblestone street. And it was crowded with people.

"Big baby. They aren't going to fall. I see these kinds of buildings all the time in Snowpoint!" Snowpoint had buildings as tall as these? Just how small was Floaroma? Yes, I knew we were small. But if every other town had these large towers, how would I live here?

Just as I was beginning to give up hope, I saw a sign over a building. The Pokemon league logo was held behind the title. It was the testing center. With the goal in sight, the wings of Pidgeot sprouted from my shoes.

"What's got you so excited. You're acting younger than me. You aren't messing with me, are you?" As I passed the buildings, almost running, I saw the shops and merchandise. Most of it was cute, misleading propaganda. None of it really interested me particularly, but the concept was cool.

"I'm just impatient sometimes. I waited over a year to do this. So let's go!" I weaved by the large crowds on the street, pushing past large and small.

"Wait up! I don't want to do it alone!" I looked back. Due to her larger backpack, I had to slow down. She couldn't squeeze through gaps I could, even if she was technically thinner than me.

I stopped in the pedestrian street. A few people bumped into me as they passed. I almost snapped on the first one, but it quickly became apparent that it was normal. I let it slid... for now.

"C'mon," Sarah said once she was closer. It wasn't like we were holding hands but it didn't help we were so close. I mentally kicked myself for earlier. Why had I acted so weird? And why was I blushing now?!

Walking up to the large building, I saw it had a fancy sliding door as well. It wasn't full glass like the Pokemon Center in Floaroma, but it was still nice. "Cool doors," I commented.

Inside, it was fairly simplistic. It had a few signs to point the new trainers in the right direction. No fancy colors, no posters except for propaganda, and definitely not many trainers. No wonder. Most people from this year would probably be around Oreburgh by now, and any late bloomers have already registered.

"I have no idea where to go," She said, making me turn to Sarah. She didn't know where to go? As if I was any better. I sighed. "Maybe let's ask those guys? It is an Info Desk."

Clever idea, Sarah.

Following her almost swaying hips, I agreed to her plans. She was my guide, leading the way to my shiny new ID card. If she lead the wrong way, I easily could push her off the edge if need be. I was going to be a trainer. And Trainers could do that. Right?

"Hello? Could you help me and my friend? We're looking to register for the Trainer's Exam. Where do we go for that?" I straightened my back, trying to look more... mature. I was not going to be treated-

"Sure, kids. Second room on the left." A kid, huh? Not a kid! Don't they know who they're dealing with? I was the future champion of Sinnoh, and they treat me like that? I guess they just don't recognize potential when they see it...

"What are you shaking your head for? Let's go, Dragon Boy." Did she just call me Dragon Boy? Well, I guess it would be true, but I plan on catching others!

Readjusting my bag, I followed Sarah as we walked down the hall. Looking ahead, I saw a sign that hung above the door, announcing it as the 'Administration of Registration and Examination'. Now, it was a bit specific, but it was exactly what we were looking for.

Walking through the archway, we were met with a line of desks meant for a whole group of new trainers. Currently, I saw two younger boys taking the test. It was strange, but Pokemon trainers were required to function with disruptions and distractions.

"Um, I don't mean to disturb," I said to a man standing there. "Where do we register for the test? My friend and I were looking to take the exam."

"Well, you two are in the right place. Just over there, you see the lady behind the glass? She's the only administer at the moment, so you two go ahead and talk to her." I glanced nervously at one of the boys. He was busy checking out Sarah, annoyed with me in the picture.

"Thanks sir. Hope I'm not disrupting too much."

"Not at all. You're actually the only ones really to come in, so it's fine." This man was a little off, as if fake, but I passed it off.

"C'mon. Let's go register. Then you can get a Miltank Burger."

"Promise?" I held out my arm to touch forearms, but Sarah just shook my hand bro-style. Not the... expected response. Apparently it was just a Floaroma thing.

We walked into the small off-shoot office labeled as Registration and saw an old lady behind the desk. And she wasn't one of those sweet little Granny. She was like one of those snappy Librarians. She even had a few books beside her.

"So, two more runts thinking they can be the very best, too? You aren't gonna sing that song, are you? The last bunch thought they could demonstrate their trainer skills like that, so you're already out of luck."

"Sorry, but what song? That isn't what we were going to ask you. Do you know, Sarah?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll sing it later for you. So, miss Admin of Registration, we're looking to take the Exam. When can you sign us up for the next test?"

"Well, you could come back at twelve tonight, or tomorrow at nine. Your choice. And better hurry up, because I was getting to the good part. You know, the good scene." A book has a scene? Don't tell me she can't read.

"W-well, what do you wanna choose? I'm up at whatever time." I scratched my head and looked to Sarah. She was biting her lip.

"I don't want to take it tonight, but I'm also not a morning person. I mean, I could take it at nine, but it wouldn't be pretty." The lady laughed and started typing on the computer next to her. Her rolling chair made a sharp noise every time she moved it.

"Honey, being a trainer has nothing to do with being pretty. You've obviously got the looks, not to mention the sizes. If you wanna be a trainer, you'd better shape up quickly. Otherwise he'll have to save your ass every time you have a Period." She laughed while I blushed. I definitely didn't want, or need, to be dragged into this.

"N-now, I'm sure she's very mature and all. She can handle her issues while I deal with mine. So, nine in the morning tomorrow?"

"Righty, kiddo. And be sure to buy extra tampons!" She laughed again and I ducked out of the room, barely dodging the fist that sailed over my head. I could tell a mad Sarah was a bad Sarah.

Still, I couldn't abandon her. We were in this for the long run, it seems. Not gonna cut it if it works fine. I was a little scared of the two tough guys, though...

.

Security quickly handled the situation by detaining Sarah and the insensitive Librarian. We were told to also cough up 400 for damages. If we still wanted to register, it would be another four hundred Poke dollars each. It was a fairly heft price since I didn't have much. It took six hundred out of my wallet since Sarah insisted we split it.

On the other side, I only agreed if she paid for my burger. It was the price for wasting my time and embarrassing me. I didn't tell her that, but she knew she had failed an aspect of the Trainer exam.

So, that's how we both ended up outside eating a twelve dollar burger each, around a trash can/table thing. They were quite large, and definitely worth it for me. I didn't have to pay, after all! Sarah, on the other hand, ate her smaller one with an angry look.

"You gotta lighten up. And the higher people are horrible." I laughed before taking a bite of my burger. It tasted leagues better than my Mother's own cooking. Why didn't we have these in Floaroma?

"She was a bitch. As if I can't take care of myself?! I've gone camping before!" Sarah was still complaining, viciously eating the Miltank patty.

"She is, correction. But that's not the point. The real thing now it this; the Burger! Just how does grease and onion make a simple patty taste so good! I think I wanna eat one every day."

"And I'll stick you with the bill, too!"

"Jeez, I was being sarcastic. No need to snap. Trying to light the mood... You know, I think I have to tell you something..."

"What? This better not be some stupid knock-knock joke."

"No! It isn't even a joke! But you might want to know. Some people might see this as a date." A smile crept over my face as a deep crimson blush covered her face. She responded by throwing her plastic fork at me.

"You're a jerk, you know." My ears grew red. I was being a jerk? I-I didn't mean to be. Was I really?

"Sorry. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings. It was just an attempt to make you happier." I bowed with my palms together. She laughed at me.

"I wasn't serious. Dragon Boy's been spending a bit too long in the country, has he?" The red on my ears spread to my cheeks and I laughed with her. At least she wasn't angry anymore. But she did forfeit her eating utensil. A smirk of victory crossed my face.

"Well, I do believe I win."

"Wait, what did you win?"

"I obviously can eat more of my burger than you can. You no longer have a way to eat yours, so I win. Ha ha!" My laugh suddenly faded when she smirked and picked up her burger. Was that in the rules?

"Let's see if I'm truly a loser, huh?" She promptly took a bite from her hands. It was almost... efficient.

Following my competition's example, I wrapped the paper around the burger and picked it off the table. I left my sad plastic fork forgotten on the table. The next bites were a race to the end.

About the time I was trying to eat the last bites, I found myself regretting my actions. Yes, I was first. But I could feel my gut regretting the entire burger being eaten as fast as I did.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," I groaned, setting aside the last bit of my sandwich. I looked to Sarah's and found her half finished. I made a mistake, didn't I?

"I don't think the Dragon Boy is much different from his Dragon. Don't you think?" Did she really know so much about Deino?

"Why do you call me that? Dragon Boy, I mean."

"Because it sounds cooler than your actual name and it's excuse not to say it. I'll call you something else if you want."

"I guess Dragon Boy is fine! Anything besides that will be worse."

"Hey! I take pride in my nicknames! Don't you like it?" I felt a pain in my gut and I winced.

"Really, it's fine. I was just wondering why you called me Dragon Boy." I mentally examined my stomach, which was grumbling in complaint. Nothing satisfies a Teen stomach...

"You're really looking sick. Wanna head over to the Pokemon Center? I've heard they let new trainers stay one night free. Maybe they can give one-time medical care?"

"Hopefully. But... what about your sandwich?"

"Why do you think I'm holding it? C'mon, then." I wrapped up my meal and threw it in the trash bin the table was built on. "It's your fault, by the way. You're the one who suggested the competition."

"Yeah, I know. Let's just get going before this gets worse. It's really starting to hurt."

.

"Hello, and how may I help the two of you? And may I just add, you both look super cute together!" I was leaning on Sarah by the time we got to the Pokemon Center. The pain felt like my Burger mutated to come alive in my gut. It really hurt!

"We aren't together! He just had too much to eat at lunch today!" I could tell she was blushing as she tried to keep me as far away as possible.

"Oh? And what kind of lunch did you two have? Was it really romantic?" The young nurse joy had light pink hair and a few piercings, as I could see. She was cute in a way, and her voice sold it perfectly.

"Are you even listening?! He's hurt. And we were not on a DATE!" I almost thought about backing away, but it did mean being further from her chest. She held me a bit closer than she thought.

"Whatever you say, sweet cheeks. I guess I'll have to take your boyfriend away, though. You know, just some diagnostics and stuff. Nothing major." I had to keep in the laughter as everyone was teasing Sarah today.

"Good! And he isn't my Boyfriend!" I could feel her temperature as I held my laughter in pain. "Stop laughing, you pig! It isn't funny!"

"Whatever you say, miss. No need to take a joke that way, though." I was slightly saved, at least for the mean time as the pink-haired nurse called a Blissey out with a gurney.

"How do I know you aren't going to do anything weird back there," Sarah asked as I was laid on the mobile bed Gundam. Good thinking, because I had no idea what they were going to do to me. Is she reading my mind?

"Miss, this is a Hospital. Not a brothel. Now calm down and take a seat. We'll be back in a few minutes." What was a brothel? I guess it was something I could search up once I got access to internet. Hopefully I could use a PokeDex to do it once I got mine tomorrow.

The Nursing Pokemon wheeled me through the hall it came through and I felt uncomfortable on the bed. And in my gut. Maybe it was because I was lying still, or maybe it was from leaving Sarah's breasts, but I couldn't place my finger on it...

"Okay, Sir. I'm going to have to ask you to empty all metal objects from your body. It could react with the machine, you know?" I looked down at my pants and realized my jeans had two decorative metal rivets. I couldn't... just remove them, could I? "It's only for medical purposes. Not gonna do anything invasive or anything."

Breathing heavily, I removed all electronic and metal objects from my body. Most was in my pants, but it also included my scarf and hoodie. I was left in my socks, underwear, and shirt. I shivered in embarrassment.

"I know you're in pain, so just lay here on the gurney. I can easily wheel you in." Lying still, the nurse began pushing the gurney with Blissey waddling beside her. I was quickly plunged into darkness, though.

Soon after the door closed behind me, the machine whirred to life. Sensors and lasers scanned my body and lasted for at least two minutes. It also happened to be hot as hell. I sweated and moved around a lot.

Then the door opened, with a breath of cold air blew down my neck and legs. It felt like I'd been in here for at least ten minutes. Were they trying to bake me? I don't think half-eaten Miltank Burger is very good.

"Well, good news is it's done. Bad news is that you have indegestion. You're going to have to stay here in the Poke Center for a night. But I'll give you this." She handed me two pills. "Eat those and your pain should lessen. I'll just let you rejoin your girlfriend. Uh, with your clothes on, of course."

Following the doc's instructions, I swallowed the two green and red pills. It was difficult to do, but not impossible. They mostly dissolved in my mouth, to be honest.

I quickly redressed, though I decided to carry my hoodie and scarf. As I did, the pain began to fade out to a dull ache. It was almost a miracle of technology.

"One last thing. You shouldn't eat anything until tomorrow. As it, twenty four hours. You don't want to make it worse."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. And, though I hate to ask, I also hate to not. What do I owe you?"

"Oh? Well~. For the extremely low price, I'll say it's free for a kiss. Just one, mind you."

"A k-kiss!? Why would you want a kiss from me?" I backed up towards the wall, though I wasn't really scared of her. It was Sarah I was scared of. She already wanted to hurt me for laughing.

"Let's just say business has been slow. Besides, this will be my first kiss. Don't you want to take the risk and just YOLO? I'll bet you and your girlfriend never kissed yet. Why don't you try it with someone older, just to get some... experience?" The nurse crept forward, almost enticing me.

"S-she isn't my girlfriend. Yet. We only met today. But I'm gonna have to, uh, decline your proposal. I'm not here for a relationship with a nurse."

"Oh? Then what are you here for? It looked to me you like you _were_ here to get a girl. No need to be shy. Just a quick peck?" What was with her? She had to be at least eighteen. Why was she trying to get me to kiss her?

"No. I can't. But maybe next time? Like, save the favor? I know I'll be back through here."

"Are you planning on being a trainer? Did you apply to be one yet?"

"Uh, yeah... Right before I got indigestion to celebrate, I guess..."

"Don't worry. It's free then. You shoulda seen your face. I woulda kissed you if you'd said yes, you know? And you'll be able to go to your test, too. Got it covered." She winked and two-finger saluted me. I laughed nervously. "So what Pokemon you gotz?"

"Uh, "gotz"? Well, I have a Deino. I caught her about two months ago..."

"A Deino, huh? I'd like to see one in battle, then! Now go! Go kiss your girlfriend then." Waving, she pushed me through the door as she wiped everything down with a sterilizing agent. I exhaled heavily. I'd just had the weirdest experiences ever.

"So? Are you better now? Because I am ready to go!" Sarah was waiting right outside of the lobby. I assumed she was getting impatint, so I was glad I'd denied Nurse Joy. If Sarah saw me... Oh yeah. We weren't actually dating. This was the longest I'd been with a girl, period. What a sad life I lead...

"You just gonna stare at me? Quit being a perv. What took you so long? I thought it was just a Diagnostics." I held up my hands in surrender.

"It was! I was put in a machine and then some pills and now I can't feel my stomach and, now that I think about it, why can't I move my pinky?" I tried clenching my hands, but I couldn't feel them very well. My pinkies would not follow my commands.

"Why did she give you some weird pills? What were they? Tell me!"

"Jeez! Why are you so worried! I was gone for ten minutes!"

"Because, who knows... how they treat Pokemon and humans?" Smooth... "So? What did she do to you? Step by step!"

"Back up a second. I don't need you choking me. Can you put me down?" Once I could breathe, I explained most of the details, leaving out her approaches to mah bodeh. I made sound pretty convincing, by my standards.

"Okay, fine," She said, not finding any problems. "So what were the pills? You said one was green, the other was red?"

"She didn't say, but they work. I'd rather not question it."

"Forget it, then... Look, Jubilife is famous for a couple of reasons, I'm sure you know. One is the Poketch company, the other is the famous Shopping Street 8. And I wanna go to both. Tagging along?"

"Sure. The only other things I can do is sleep or sit around. Maybe even annoy randos." She laughed and her seriousness faded. I sighed in relief. So she wasn't angry after all. Whew!

"I guess we should go, then. To Shopping Street 8!" Fist pumping together, we laughed. "Now we go." And together we walked out of the sliding glass doors of the Poke Center.

.

It was an hour later that I began to have problems. Not with my stomach, but in my arms. Since Sarah didn't want to carry most of the things she bought, as she already had a large backpack, I was stuck carrying stuff like a swimsuit she might never wear. I only bought six Pokeballs and a flashlight for the first true test. The Oreburgh Gate.

Other than that, it was great. I couldn't eat, but I certainly didn't want to. I might not have hurt, but I felt full. And I think my arms did, too.

"So, wanna finish up and head to the Poketch company? We might be able to get you a Deino styled one."

"Great, because that's the only reason I'll buy one. I only have enough for a PokeDex now. I'm lucky the Pokeballs were half off."

"No need to be a party pooper," Sarah pouted. "It's just a Poketch, you know?"

"Yeah, but it's just a watch. It doesn't even have any good apps nowadays. I'd rather just have my PokeDex."

"Fine, but your loss is my gain!"

"Just save enough for the Dex? You kinda need one."

"Alright! By Xatu, you sound like my Dad. He's always telling me that."

"Maybe he was right? It does help to plan this stuff out. And where is the Poketch place anyways?"

"We're already here! Were you even looking?" I blushed and felt my ears begin to burn red. I don't know if she tricked me, or I was just an idiot. Either way, I'd just said all that stuff...

"Eh, can we help you two today? Ah, for you miss, I'd recommend a silver and blue Poketch. And for you, young man, a gold and purple. Would you like to see them first before you buy?"

"Woah, woah, woah! Who said I was buying one? I'm just here to help her with her shopping."

"Oh. I see you're definitely a lost cause, then." He began to ignore me entirely, the nerve of some people... "And you, miss? What can I get for you?"

"I'd actually, uh, prefer a white and red one. A male model, as well. Just personal preference."

"But miss, the female models have been fitted one famous models to fit any woman. Please reconsider."

"Sir, am I one of your famous models?"

"N-no, ma'am. But the male model has a larger wrist width and length. It would be better for you to take the female model."

"Then you're a sexist pig. Give me my request and I'll save my complaint until I get back to the Poke Center."

"Very well, then. I'll be right back." Under his breath, I could swear I heard him say, _"bitch"_ but I wasn't so sure. Not the right time...

Returning, the man handed her the Poketch she requested and directed us to the checkout counter.

.

We returned around three in the afternoon. Sarah apparently had more money than I gave her credit for. Like, rich parents or something. It also made myself feel poor. I don't like poor...

Together, by using our Pokemon as our ID, we were able to get one night in the Poke Center's housing. We were also each given a pair of new grey sweatpants and a white tee. They were for us to wear while our usual clothes were washed.

With a set of new clothes and an armful of bags, I followed Sarah as we climbed up the stairs to our rooms.

"Why didn't we rent the room before going out?" Sarah still had her backpack, along with two of her bags from shopping.

"Who was it who wanted to just go?" She groaned as we climb the second flight of stairs to the next story.

"Which one was ours again? I forgot."

"You were the one leading the way! Ugh, it's 302 and 303." Luckily I had heard those numbers. The key cards given to us looked exactly the same, while only the encryption on the back mattered. Walking up to 302, I waited for Sarah to unlock the door.

"You can just put my stuff on the bed. I'll pack it later." As we stepped inside, I saw it was a fairly well sized room. And it has a mini fridge?! What kind of Poke Center is this?

"You just gonna stand there? Your room looks exactly the same, so no need to gawk at it."

Nodding, I walked into the room. It had a single bed and, though well decorated, was obviously only meant for one trainer.

Setting the bags and boxes on the bed, I pulled my arms cleanly out of all the bags' loops. A single line of worthless junk sat before me.

"I'm going over to my own room," I said, feeling tired. It had been a long day for me, having only left home this morning. Of course, I didn't really expect this much to happen in the first place.

"I'll just be here until dinner."

"I can't have dinner. Doctor's orders."

"Aww... You really are a party pooper."

"Whatever," I sighed as I closed the door. Going across the hall, I pulled out my own key card and slipped it across the reader. It opened the door and I stepped in.

True to her words, my room was very similar, but it was mirrored. I slipped off my shoes and satchel, dropping them by the door.

Lying on the bed, I could feel myself slipping. I couldn't blame my body. It had been through a lot because of my choices. I closed my eyes and decided to take a quick nap...

* * *

 **Well, it's done. He's got a companion. Sorry it's a little rough, but I'm just going with whatever comes to mind.**

 **Now that I've written and had my fun, I do believe I'll sleep. If you liked the chapter, please leave a review. It really helps me continue writing.**

 **Now, LowePlays signing out.**


	4. The First Real Step

**So, last time I planned to get passed the whole testing thing and going to the Gate, but I kinda got carried away with Sarah and that whole Nurse Joy scene... Yeah, maybe that wasn't such a good idea. Still, I liked it because it was so stupid.**

 **Anyways, it's going well! I'm a secluded person, got a pack of Iced Tea, and snack time is still my favorite. Let's get started, guys! ... Maybe today...**

* * *

I woke up with a cramping pain in my gut. It wasn't the usual type of awakening, that's for sure. Looking out the window and around the room, I remembered where I was. I was in the Poke Center. That's right! This would be my first time away from home for... Oh, wait. I never really left Floaroma before...

It was still dark outside for it to be night, but it was definitely not the same day. The clock next to my bed told me that much. Pushing off the bed, a wave of nausea washed over me and I almost puked. Running to the bathroom, I let my stomach take care of the rest. Luckily, my aim for the sink wasn't bad and it was easy enough to wash down. The flip side was that I was hungry this early in the morning.

Though little came up, most of it was just acid and bile. The burning in my throat was, well, burning. Worse was that it was a chemical burn. My favorite...

I let the water to run longer to allow myself to drink. Why did Miltank burgers have to taste so good, yet make me hate them like I did? Damn you Miltanks! Still, I knew it was mostly my fault. Why did I even need to win at all? I could have saved it until we were out of the city.

Though I felt better, it was apparent I wasn't yet better. I remembered what the Nurse from yesterday, promising I would be fine for the test. Hopefully she was right, because I did not pay 600 Poke dollars to miss the test. I would go, no matter how badly I felt. Imagine that; The Future Champion beaten by a simple Miltank burger before he even became a trainer. It almost made me laugh aloud.

Sitting on the hard tile, I leaned against the wall and sighed. I could hardly tell wich way was up, to be honest. My vision swayed and turned one way before reversing. The wall and floor kept me from falling, even though I felt sideways. It was like someone spun me around really fast.

I spent several minutes in the bathroom, waiting for my nausea to pass, but it didn't show much progress. I was still tired and the darkness made it all the more reasonable. With my pillow's sweet calls, it was hard to resist. I didn't quite trust myself to stand steadily, so I crawled across the lightly carpeted floor to my bed.

Pressing my face into the soft linen, I closed my eyes. Holding my stomach, it grumbled and I cracked open an eye to look to my mini fridge. No, doc's orders. I can't eat. But... It's been a year since I'd gone to bed hungry before. I didn't like it then, and nothing had changed since then.

Trying to sleep, I closed my eyes again. Fluffing my pillow, I laid my head on it. But after several minutes, my stomach kept growling. I even tossed and turned a bit. Finally, I couldn't take it.

I rolled off the bed and opened the small fridge. I saw a few bottles of water in the dim lighting. With no lights from the cool box, it was had to tell. Luckily, I did see a few sandwiches. Pulling out one, I remembered to bite in consideration.

It was difficult to swallow the bad sandwich, as the cheese and ketchup sandwich was absolutely terrible. I almost regretted stooping so low to my wants. The cheese was one thing, the ketchup was another. The bread was almost stale, but it felt soft. The dry texture was enough to make me open a bottle of water.

Feeling a piece of paper as I closed the fridge door, I tried reading it. I almost face palmed myself as soon as I looked at it. Who could read in this time of day... Night.

With my appetite... satiated, I stood up. With only minor nausea, I walked the two meters back to my bed. I set my bottled water next to the clock and flopped onto the bed. This time, it only took a few minutes to fall asleep.

.

As light began to break over the city, I heard a knock on my door. A quite impatient knocking, by that. I rubbed my eyes and yawned.

"Who is it," I asked loudly. Straightened my clothes and took my hood off. I also pulled the leg of my pants down from my knee.

"Hey! It's already time to go! Why didn't you wake me up!" Sarah was out there? I glanced at my clock, only to find it half past eight. I slept that long? I didn't really expect myself to be that sick. But, maybe it was the medicine? Like most, a side effect might have been 'slight drowsiness'.

Standing, I didn't feel much dizziness, but my cramps in my gut were back. I hoped nothing in the sandwich I ate was bad. Still, being in a hospital, it should all be safe to eat. Looking at my clothes, they were the same I wore yesterday. I would be a slob if Sarah saw me wearing the same things...

As fast as I could, I changed into the grey sweats the Poke Center lent me, a bold silver six embroidered with a red and white Pokeball. After a quick few wipes across my hoodie, I smoothed across some of the wrinkles. Pulling my hat off my bag, I swung my bag over my shoulder while snapping the back.

Opening the door, I swiftly dodged a fist coming straight for my face. It hurt my back, having to bend so far. Unfortunatly, Sarah had counted on hitting a solid object. She lost her balance as I saw her wrist above my face. Tumbling into me, I fell flat on my back.

"Oww~. Well, that was a rude awakening..." I was freed by pushing Sarah off me, but she did most of the work for me, jumping to her feet. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment, but it could also have been anger as well.

"What the Heck! You couldn't've at least taken the hit? I could've hurt myself, you know?"

"You might have skinned your knuckle if you'd actually hit me. It's a serious injury if you throw punches wrong." I straightened my hat and dusted my clothes.

"Then you could've gotten to the door earlier."

"For you to see me without clothes? No thanks. I have my pride, you know."

"That isn't what I meant! You're being a jerk!"

"Jeez! I just woke up, you know?"

"I know. That's why I was knocking on your door. We gotta go take our test!"

"You're right. I've got Akuma, right? Okay, got her Pokeball, as well as my flashlight and the six empty balls. I'm set. What about you? You don't look very prepared." She didn't look the least bit prepared to leave. She really didn't have much on at all. In fact, I think I saw all of her thighs and her belly button. Was it still summer? When was this again?

"I'll be fine. I've got my Pokemon. What about you? You look like we're leaving the moment the test is over."

"That is what I planned... I guess we can talk about this on the way? We don't have that long, right?"

"Right, right!" Closing my room's door, I followed Sarah as she jumped down the stairs two at a time. I noticed the Poketch she bought safely strapped to her wrist. It looked a little bulky on her, but I was hardly one to judge.

Once we reached the ground floor, I saw a male nurse behind the counter dealing with a group of two trainers. I noticed them to be the same two from the testing center. I could tell they were practically gloating with their shiny new Pokedexes. I smirked. They would be the fodder on my road to being the Champion. Oh, yeah!

"C'mon! We don't have time to waste, Dragon Boy!" Grabbing my sleeve, Sarah pulled me along through the glass doors. It was relaxing to be in the cool morning air, but I saw Sarah almost immediately start shivering once we stepped out. Still, it does some good to wait.

Walking along the sidewalk, I watched as cars passed by. Not many people were out on the streets at this time, as those who had jobs or school were already there. Most that were, I could easily tell their groups. Those guys were Pokemon Trainers like us, those three were gamers that lived with their parents, and that guy... what was he doing?

As I walked passed the strange man, I saw him adjusting a strange contraption in the doorstep. Maybe he was an inventor? I shrugged and continued on, turning onto the cobblestone street. It was lucky enough to be so close to the Bureau of Whatchamacallit and Whatever.

I guess you could call it nerves, or maybe anxiety, but I began to run my hand over my scars on my forearm.

"What? Are you just gonna let me fr-freeze? Stop th-thinking about it and hand over your sweatshirt!" I stopped and looked at Sarah. Sighing, I glumly nodded. Pulling my sleeves off, I shivered in the early morning air. It also revealed my scars.

"Whoa. Those scars... Where did you get them from?" I looked down at them and rubbed the seven dots. It was hard to miss when they covered half my forearm.

"I got them from Akuma a few months ago," I replied, handing her my hoodie. "It's not a very interesting story, but I got them while first training her." Sarah slipped the grey hood up and hid her shown belly. It really is no wonder she was cold.

"Well, that's nice and all, but we'd better get moving. It's almost nine. And thanks for the hoodie." Following her, we both started towards the Testing Center.

"And here I thought you said you were from Snowpoint. Aren't you supposed to be used to the cold?" I stretched my arms out and yawned. Why was I so tired?

"I might be from Snowpoint, and I am more used to the cold than the heat, but my family is Hoennese." What difference did that make? Hoenn was simply south of Sinnoh, so what did she mean? "I can tell by your face you have no idea what I'm talking about. Did you never pay attention in class? It's hot in Hoenn, so my bloodline is more adapted to the tropics temperature."

"Still, you've been up in the north for so long, you should be used to it."

"We don't go outside in our underwear! We have Winter clothes, too! Besides, it isn't always snowing like the name says."

"Pfft! Snowpoint isn't always snowy? That's funny!" I laughed a little while Sarah stuck her tongue out. She pulled at the hood and tried to adjust it to fit her. Still, with my frame size being larger than hers, her chest was enough to stretch it.

"Your sweatshirt kinda sucks. But at least it isn't that cold anymore. Thanks for warming it up, I guess." I blushed slightly. She was thanking me for my body heat? That just got a bit creepy. I shivered, even with the heat in my face. To save myself, I glanced around and saw the sign for the testing center.

"W-well, we're almost there so you don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

"I-it's fine. I'll keep it. Besides, I don't want to feel this cold anyways. It'll heat up by the time the Exam is over." Shrugging, I rubbed my arms together. It wasn't goosebumps cold yet, but the feeling made my muscles flinch in anticipation. Or was it nerves?

"Calm down, Dragon Boy. No doubt you'll pass. And me? If I can't pass, no one can. Honestly, I didn't study for nothing." Study? Right, I was going to study before the test! Gee, no time now. Talk about procrastination...

Taking slow breaths, I followed Sarah through the fancy sliding doors. I waved to the guy who helped us yesterday and received a nod in response. Good to see one familiar face. Feeling my scars, my skin was smooth in that one spot. The muscles right under the skin felt to almost flow while I moved my fingers.

"C'mon. We should hurry." Sarah's fingers twitched in anticipation by her side. So I wasn't the only one with anxious nerves.

"We aren't late, are we? Because I want a refund if we are." She laughed at that, because even I knew it was my fault. Still, I also knew not every Champion was perfect in the beginning. I wasn't perfect, but soon I'll be better than anyone else. I'd learn how to be, and quickly as possible.

Walking through the open arch, I saw to no ones surprise and empty room of desks. No one would be registering by now. The middle of Fall, you'd be crazy. Or late like us. In fact, I realized it was almost fate that Sarah and I met. Was it Xatu? Or maybe Palikia?

"Ah!" I spun around to see an unfamiliar man step into the room. His long and white beard almost reached his waist, distracting me from his face. "Good to see you two here on time. That means the first step of the Exam is over. Now, If you'll-"

"You mean that was part of the Exam?" Sarah looked angry. "If it was part of the Exam, we'd have come earlier!"

"That wouldn't have changed the time I got here. It's only five before nine anyways, so I can't legally give you the written exam at this time." He gave a small chuckle while he stroked his silver hair with a muscly hand. He looked wise, but also strong. I could tell he had a smile from the wrinkles around his eyes.

"Gah! Damn you government officials! I just wanna take this test!" Sarah, on the other hand, practically had steam coming from her. She looked to have a fever, she was so red. "You can at least sneak it to us, right?"

"Sorry, miss. As pretty as you are, I can't give it to you. Nice legs, too."

"You Pervert!" Stepping in to stop the argument, I managed to catch a forearm to the head. The force knocked me to the floor, making my dizziness return. I pulled myself to lean against the wall, feeling my ear. For a second or two, the entire room did the wave before stabilizing.

"Man... I should've let you have that one, old man. She really put a lot behind that."

"You kinda deserved that. But he definitely deserved it more. You shouldn't've done that." Sarah crossed her arms and kicked my shin.

"Ow! Why do you hate me now?" I rubbed my leg, which was probably skinned from her boots.

"Don't be a baby. I didn't kick you that hard."

"Now, kids. I'd love to be hear to listen to you two fight, as it is entertaining, but your tests are here." Holding out two separate packets, I saw my name written on one of them.

"T-thanks, old man. Is there, like, some assigned seating? Just asking." I took the folder and waited, but Sarah simply marched off to the back row.

"Yes, I do think that would do. You, boy, sit in the second row, near the wall. The girl should be fine there." He pulled something out of his pocket. "And a pen. Take the second back to the girl, if you will. You seem like a nice kid, so why not?"

A nice kid? I fed Pokemon to a Deino. What kind of 'Nice Kid' does that? Besides, once I passed this test, I would be a full-blown Trainer. I wouldn't be a nice kid then.

Still, I obliged and took both pens, both exactly the same. Cheap, plastic, and disposable. Reaching Sarah, I handed her one and she grabbed it from my hand. Still angry. Though, at what, I didn't know.

My seat was right along the wall. Twisting to the side didn't help, but the desks were bolted to the ground. I couldn't move it. They expected us to sit properly. Groaning, I uncapped the pen and opened the plastic folder and looked at the content. A bunch of complex and diverse assortment of diagrams, the likes of which I'd never seen before.

One looked like a graph, the other was a circle. A couple of essay questions. Very extensive test, if I'd ever seen one. Biting my hand, I carefully read each and every question. This was the stretch I was expecting. No way I'd fail this. Cautiously, I put the pen to the paper.

.

An hour later, I was stumped like a Phantump. I answered every single question but one. And it was the final one.

It wasn't the biggest question. Hardly. It was simple, in all reality. But I had no idea how to answer it. And it only asked one thing of me; my opinion. I could put any old answer in the box, but I was serious.

The question asked what Pokemon I would be if I was one. What was my spirit Pokemon? Yes, I had Akuma. We were partners and all, but I was not a Deino inside. What was I? There was a one in almost seven hundred to choose from. What was I?!

"Okay, are you both finished? Because time is up." The old man standing at the front of the room tapped his watch. Quickly, I scribbled in something and stood up.

"I finished a while ago. It was too easy. What about you, Dragon Boy? How'd you do?" Sarah had a smug expression, spinning her pen between her fingers. It was cool, to be honest.

Shaking my head, I put my palm on my forehead. "Sorry, but I didn't finish. I didn't get a chance to answer the last question. What'd you answer?" Suddenly, I had a finger over my lips.

"Not gonna tell you. It's a secret." She flipped the pen around her fingers before tossing it into the air. It was suddenly snatched away before she could catch it, though.

"Good thing, too, because I'd have to deduct points if you told him." Sarah flashed glaring eyes at the old man. He continued to smile, even with all of her anger directed at him. Still, reason got the better of her and she calmed down, on the surface at least. "Now follow me. Onto the third part. My favorite part because I get to see your Pokemon and their skills."

Uh oh. What would Akuma do? Would she be hungry? She hasn't eaten for two days and had been confined for the whole time, too. True, time was dilated, but not her hunger.

"Sir? Could I get some food for my own Pokemon? She hasn't eaten recently, so she might be angry with me."

"We do have these things usually handled by the trainer, but why not? Kid, just because I like ya, I'll give you two choices. Is she a herbivore or carnivore? Because I only got one of each."

"Well... Could I say she's not picky? She's a Carnivore, but she'll eat anything. You know?"

"Hmm... An omnivore, huh? Not many Pokemon like that. I would ask you, but I sadly can't. So, I'll simply let you feed her once we all get to see her. In fact, I'll even let you go first. Ha ha ha!"

"T-thanks, sir." Sarah blew a wisp of hair away from her face. Why I was getting special treatment, I'm sure it's because I was the more docile and softer of the two of us.

Walking down the hall behind the old man, I wondered at how old the guy was. He seemed to be, by looks alone, around 60 or 70. but he acted and stood like a man who was 20 or 30. Was he just that fit?

In the middle of my internal debating, I received a hearty punch to the shoulder. I looked at Sarah, the culprit, and held my shoulder. She shrugged and put her hands in the hoodie's pockets. She looked away before I could respond and I sighed heavily. She was so hard to understand, just when I thought I understood her.

Finally, at the end of the hallway, we turned a corner and walked out into bright sun light. And it was warm, too. Nothing like the outside I remember being in an hour ago. Did it really change that much?

"Don't worry about it too much, Kid. We aren't really outside. It's something like a greenhouse and we use it to contain any Pokemon. You'll be displaying your Pokemon here. Think of it like a contest you see on TV, you'll be fine. Anyways, here." Handing me a plate, I looked at a small steak and a bowl of chopped berries. Yeah, like Akuma will like me for this. It'd be a long shot to say she'd be happy being inside a dark Pokeball for two days, either.

Oh, wait. She was blind.

"Kid? Gonna just stare at the food? If you want, I'll step back a bit." Taking a breath, I nodded to whatever the guy said. He took a good five steps back, giving me room. Following him, Sarah leaned against a tree and pouted. Still, she kept her attention on me. Hopefully, she'd forgive me after seeing my skill with Akuma.

I set down the plate on the grass and pulled out a Pokeball. Expanding it, I held it to my forehead. Please, Akuma. Don't be angry with me. Please understand. With a quick prayer to the Lord of Pokemon, Arceus, I clicked the button and watched the light coalesce into the form of my Akuma.

"Hey, there. How are you, Akuma?" With a complaining whine, the Deino snapped at me. I understood this gesture. "Don't worry! I got your food. Here, though I know it isn't much." I held the plate of food out for her. Sniffing at it, she found something she didn't recognize. "C'mon. It's meat. You'll like it." Shoving the Pokeball into my pocket, I grabbed the steak and held it out to her. With no strange things in the way, she ate the meat in one bite. Then she nuzzled against me for more food.

"Sorry, girl. I don't have anymore. It's all I could get here. Now, before more food, I need to introduce you to some people. Sarah? Old man? Slowly." As soon as Sarah took the first step, Akuma jumped and spun to face her. She growled and Sarah stopped her advance. My hand already rested on the hungry dragon's black fur.

"Are you s-sure you have that... that _thing_ under control?" The old man held up his arm and stepped back.

"No! Don't step back. Deino like her can sense your fear from that. Akuma, calm down. They aren't food. They're like me, okay? Be nice." The old man, however, was not stupid. Not to him, at least. He wasn't going to stay still, just because some kid said so. He turned and ran. Akuma, using her keen senses, couldn't resist the chance to chase a fleeing meal.

Tugging herself free from my grip, she raced along the grassy floor after the old man. Sarah, being in the way, barely dodged by jumping to the tree she leaned against. Akuma raced by and, thanks to her inadequate focus, smashed into a tree. It gave me just enough time to retrieve her Pokeball and aim the laser. She vanished in a flash of light.

"Sir! Please stop running! I did tell you not to run!" I held the baseball sized Pokeball in my hand, not quite finished. "Old man! I've recalled my Deino!"

Looking behind him, the old man noticed his pursuer had not been snapping at his heels as he thought. Instead, it was a clear path to me, the Pokeball at the ready. In his old age, I was surprised at his ability to run.

"Well, that was entertaining," Sarah commented, leaping down from the branch she sat on. She landed softly and began laughing loudly. "Seriously, did you see the Geezer's face? And the way he runs, it's like he's a school girl!" Joining in, I laughed as well.

"You... Kid, you could've warned us if you were gonna bring out something as dangerous as a Dragon." The test overseer was breathing like he had asthma. "True, you've got good reflexes for returning your Pokemon. But that doesn't mean you're good. You lost control of your Pokemon."

"Yeah, and you blatantly put yourself in harms way. For a guy like you, who sees Pokemon day after day, I'm surprised you reacted like that." With a paling face, the old man tried to hide behind his beard. Being white, it should have been enough. If it covered more of his face.

"Now, unlike you, I have experience. And Dragons, no matter which species, won't hesitate to attack. I will _not_ stand still and let it injure me."

"Wanna see what this Deino did to me when I ran?" I pulled down my shirt, showing my shoulder. The skin was scarred and shiny, recently healed. After a few moments, I shrugged and adjusted my shirt. "See? I know. If you stand still, a blind Deino won't see you," I lied. It wasn't true, as breathing and scent still were sensible by her. But it made me look better!

"Well... I guess I'm forced to admit it. I didn't know that. I thought Deino had eyes under that fur."

"They do. But they never open them. They can't. I've seen it, but it's like the skin is fused over them. Only Hydreigon can see." The old man grumbled from being taught by a kid.

"I'm done with you anyways, kid. I'll re-evaluate your score after this. Seems it was my fault..." I nodded and shrunk the Pokeball to the marble size it usually was. "Pretty girl, you're up. Show me what you got. Better not be another Dragon, mind you." Smirking, Sarah pulled out two familiar pokeballs from her belt. I'd thought it was simply for fashion, but it was a bandolier belt. Smart idea.

"You'd better keep your pants on, old Geezer, or my Pokemon will leave you in ribbons."

"Ribbons, huh? Better chill there, or you aren't getting any license from me. Just release your Pokemon." Doing as asked, Sarah clicked the buttons and two Pokemon were released. One of the two was a Sneasel, a larger one than I remember in school. It must have been a whole meter tall. The second was a cute little Dedene, though Akuma might not think so. She was easily overpowered by fairies.

"I see you've got two rare ones. A Sneasel, huh? Dangerous little buggers. You two really scare me, you know?" So, a Sneasel isn't as scary as a Deino? Looking at the sleek and frosty predator, I was scared. I mean, just look at how sharp those claws are!

"So, what'dya think, Dragon Boy? Pretty impressive, huh? Yami and Perry aren't just for show, either. Wanna find out?"

"No! No fighting, especially with that blasted dragon. I don't either of you destroying this place. It isn't a gym or an open field. Save it."

"Yeah, I don't want to fight you right now anyways. Akuma hurt herself earlier and I'd rather heal her first." Reaching forward, I got close to Perry before I felt the hairs lift on my arm. The next few seconds were... shocking.

After receiving a hearty shock from the Dedene, I think I might have lost consciousness. I just remember being shocked, then staring at the sky through a glassy ceiling. In fact, the whole situation seemed familiar to me.

"You okay," Sarah asked, holding back laughter.

"I'm fine. A little buzzed is all." Standing, I brushed off any dirt on my back. I felt the crackle of static electricity left in my hair.

"That was a dangerous move around my little Perry. It's kinda like you approaching Akuma, I guess. Should've, I don't know, given him some of your berries. You didn't feed them to your Deino, I noticed." Her Sneasel and Dedene were standing around, not sure what they were supposed to do.

"You're right. That was pretty stupid of me. So, I guess Dedene are similar to Pachirisu." I looked around. "Where's the Old Man? I thought he was just here." Sarah began to laugh.

"He ran off the second you fell, yelling something about getting medical attention. Hardly a shock, if you ask me."

"So, how long was I out? It doesn't look like much happened." The daylight looked the same and her Pokemon were still out, so nothing could have really happened.

"You're right. You were on your back for only a few seconds. Half a minute at most... Wait, I think I hear voices." I listened. Sure enough, I swear I could hear the old man's panicked voice.

"...and it happened so fast, I had no time to stop it! I swear, it isn't my fault!" The old man rounded the corner and entered the green house arena. Seeing me standing, he froze. "You! I thought you were shocked? Don't tell me you two played a prank on me."

"No, I definitely got shocked. My fingers are still numb. But it wasn't that bad. Just enough to give me a good zap. It was pretty funny, though." I laughed, even if my entire arm still tingled with the amount of electricity put through it. Hopefully my acting was good enough to fool him.

Clicking the buttons on their Pokeballs, Yami and Perry both disappeared. Sarah obviously saw this was over, so there was no need for her Pokemon to get in the way. They were both stored back on her belt. I decided I might buy one, too, but only after I earned more money. After all, I was almost flat broke.

"Hmm. Well, I guess I over reacted. Sorry for bringing you here, Administrator. Guess nothing really happened." He began making apologies to his boss, who started to walk out. I looked to Sarah, who simply shrugged. I'm guessing this wasn't an everyday occurrence.

"Soo... We done here? I kinda wanna get this over with, you know?"

"Now, Kid. I like you, and now that I know why the Miss there called you 'Dragon Boy', it'll be difficult. But, I think it should be fine. I guess you two handled your Pokemon well, and your tests are being reviewed as we speak. Now, wait up, Administrator!" Chasing after the strict-looking woman, the old man ran off. His beard looked weird and sideways, but I decided it was nothing.

Sighing, I sat down heavily. It was hard to keep up an act, harder than expected. I sighed and pulled out Akuma's Pokeball.

"Hey, Sarah? Do you want to meet really Akuma? You two didn't really have a chance earlier, so..."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to let her out, but I'm not letting her near me. Not wanting to, you know, take the chance." Geez, party just got a whole lot quieter. Still, I enlarged the red Pokeball and examined the display screen. It did say she had dropped a few percentage points in health, but a bit of time would heal her up. She did headbutt that tree pretty hard...

"Okay. Just stay quiet for a second while I introduce you." I released Akuma and she materialized in a flash. Stumbling, she immediately fell to her knees. I moved forward and saw a bruise already forming on her forehead.

"Hey, there. You alright? Look, I'm sorry it's so sudden after last time, but I want to introduce you to someone. Just... stay calm, alright? She's like me, so don't attack." I placed my hand on her back, even though she made no attempts to rise. Hopefully she stayed like that. Raising my hand, I motioned to Sarah.

Moving forward, I kept my hand on Akuma in case she decided to attack. Though she raised her head, she made no moves to stand. Sarah was cautious, but her approach was steady. She pulled her hands out of the hoodie's pockets and reached out for my dragon.

"Please don't attack her, Akuma. Be calm." Making contact with her head, the Deino flinched, but didn't really have the motivation after being embarrassed as she was. Not to mention she was dizzy from her... branchy encounter.

"She seems pretty calm now, but I think she'll show her strength in battle later. I don't think we're quite ready to battle you yet, though." I laughed lightly and sat back. It seems Akuma was being a bit complacent and submissive today. Still, it was fine for me. If she didn't cause trouble for me, I couldn't really make any for her.

"I can't say I'm comfortable with her, but I can tell you've spent some time with her. Not as much as I have with my Pokemon, but better than I thought. Now... I think I'm done." Removing her hand from Akuma's head, she left the Deino's faux horn bent out of shape.

Without an extra and strange hand on her, Akuma allowed her head to drop and she began to sleep. It must have been strange for her, but I think I understood. Even a Dragon has pride, after all. With her sleeping, I allowed her to stay out of the Pokeball. She definitely deserved it.

"So, how badly did that hurt," Sarah asked pointing to my forearm. The seven scars shone, the pale skin easily visible. I rubbed one, feeling the slight indent left from the fangs.

"I don't quite remember exactly, but I remember it hurt a lot. Still, after I was bitten, I used a Blissey Egg Extract. I didn't have to deal with it for long, because it healed so quickly. You know?"

"I didn't really have any injuries when I was with my own Pokemon. Looks like you've a rough time of it, though."

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. Your Sneasel. Why is it so docile and stuff? It wasn't at all violent like all the stories, so when you say it didn't give you any scars... How'd you do that?" She smirked.

"Skills. Gotta have 'em." I opened my mouth, about to say something like, 'You couldn't have more experience than me,' but the old man was back. And he looked out of breathe. Instead of speaking, I burst out laughing.

"Alright," the man shouted. "I do believe you can return your Deino and we can go get your IDs printed. And, don't say anything once we're there. It is a library, after all." A library? Why would a printer be in a library? Still, I did as asked and allowed my Akuma to vanish in a flash of light. I stored the Pokeball in my bag and stood up, following Sarah and the man out of the lovely greenhouse room.

Back down a maze of halls, I followed blindly and was rewarded with a large file room.

"I thought you said this was a library. Not some dusty old room full of drawers. Because rusty file cabinets suck, all the squeaking and stuff."

"Then it's a good think you both don't work here. Now be quiet! No more talking!" Sighing loudly, I put my hands in my sweats pockets. I yawned as it was kinda boring to just walk through another maze. Suddenly, a rapid ticking noise sounded behind me. Looking, I saw Sarah dragging her hand over the handles. I nearly laughed as it was something I used to do in school.

"Will you stop that? I told you to be quiet!" As the man spun around, I saw a young... Actually, I couldn't tell what gender the human was.

"I thought I'd told you to keep them quiet, Mr. Manuul. Can you do nothing right? Where did Mr. Hanswel go, because he was much better at this job than you." From the voice, I guessed female, but she, he, or it?

"I-I'm sorry! Ms. Tate, I really tried!" So it _was_ a She! "And, uh, Mr. Hanswel has his day off today and tomorrow. But, I'm sure there shouldn't be any more trainer registrations for the next week."

"You could have at least sent Henriette. She's still better than you, as clumsy as she is. Seriously, you're one of the worst." The woman shook her head and pinched her nose. Was he really that bad? "And who're these two supposed to be? Look a little old to be just newbies."

"Um, sorry, but I am a new trainer. My name is-"

"I don't need to know your name, Boy. Just follow me. I guess I'll finish your IDs. You too, Girl." Uh... What just happened? After rounding a corner, the lady took control of a computer. She typed in a few things and then spun around.

"This you?" She pointed behind her with a pen. I looked at the screen and saw my own name, along with a dozen other facts. It even said my eyes were blue and yellow. Were they that observant? And just when did they observe us?

"Uh... yeah. That's me." I stepped forward and stood at attention. Not military style, but attentive.

"Look behind the monitors. And... smile." In a flash of light, my face was captured. "Thanks, kid. Wait to the side and I'll upload your ID. Girl, is this you?" I hardly noticed she was typing while she was talking to me, but I stepped out of the way. I looked to at my partner. Sarah was not ready to take a picture. With the hood up on my hoodie, she hid her face while she messed with her hair.

"C'mon, kid. Don't got all day. Well, maybe I do, but I don't want to spend it on you two." Huffing, Sarah pulled down the hood and revealed some styled hair. How she did it, beats me.

"Okay. I'm ready." Looking to the wall, another flash went off and her face was also captured by the camera. With a whirring noise to my side, I looked at a small box there. It made several beeps and did something. After a few moments, a screen lit up.

 _'ID Upload Complete'_

After that, it began to make more complex noises as it began work on Sarah's.

"Miss, why does it make noises if it's just uploading an ID," I asked. If it was a normal upload, it wouldn't need fancy noises like this.

"Oh, that's just to make it look like I'm doing work. It isn't too important." So it was just an excuse?

"That's pretty cool," Sarah spoke up. "I mean, if it just made noises, it'd fool anyone. As long as they don't look too deeply into it, you could get tons of "stuff" done. You're pretty clever, Ms... Tate, right?"

"I can tell you're a lot like me. Ah, I do believe you are both now registered. You two can go away now." Shrugging, I began to walk away. Sarah followed me and seemed to have more of a happy expression showing. I smiled as well, now realizing the fact.

I was now a real, true blue Trainer. I could even go to the Pokemon League and become the Champion with this!

.

The next few hours were pretty smooth. Relatively. We both went to a Pokedex store on Shopping Street 8 and checked out their large supply. Ranging from bulky Dexes, all the way to more compact ones. And every single one had a different color. It was like going into a candy store, of which there was one right next door.

"Now, how does this one look?" Sarah went from Dex to Dex, trying to decide which was better. I felt like she was thinking too much on the style side, rather than the price side. The one she had now had a price of two thousand Poke dollars.

"Eh... Don't you think it's a bit too expensive? And, besides, it's for not for fashion shows. Just grab one that's cheap and lets... You aren't listening, are you?" Instead of actually taking my advice, she just nodded and picked up a golden Pokedex. No doubt in my mind it was worth it.

For myself, I already had my Pokedex. It was black and violet, matching Akuma's color. It was more because it was cool, but it was also only two hundred and forty nine Poke dollars. Perfect for me, since it was one of the cheapest in the store.

"So, how about this one? It's black and orange, so it matches with Perry and Yami. Should I get it?" Glancing at the price tag, I sighed in relief. It wasn't one of the expensive ones.

"Sure. And, it also comes with a built in flashlight. No problems once we're inside the Oreburgh gate."

"You mean you're planning to go there ASAP? That seems kinda dangerous, you know? Maybe we should train. Xatu Forest is back near... what was it called again? Anyways, we can train there." Train? And waste time here?

"No, we should try to catch up with the trainers of this year. Going straight through the Gate is the fastest way. Besides, training in a cave is probably best for my Pokemon."

"What about mine? Dedene are Electric mice, so Perry'll be useless in the caves. Yami might be alright, but still!"

"Woah, woah! Let's just buy our Dexes first. Before you break that one." Her hand was clenched around the small devices tightly, but she realized this once I told her. Her grip relaxed, but her eyes told me she still had a debate to finish. We approached the counter and placed the Dexes on the counter.

"Name, miss?" The guy behind the counter picked up my Dex.

"That one is mine. Her's is the Orange one." Smooth thinking, huh?

"Alright. So then. Your name after hers, and I'll register the Dexes to the proper IDs." Telling him our respective names, he searched up our newly registered names and hooked my Dex into a strange slot. With the display lighting up, I saw it was mostly blank. Nothing was on it yet.

After a few moments and key strokes, the information changed as my ID was transferred onto the device. Lastly, I saw my own face appear on the screen.

"That'll be two hundred fifty, sir," the clerk said, holding his hand out. Opening my wallet, I saw only a few more bills left. I pulled out a five hundred and handed it to him. He handed me back half, leaving me with only about... four hundred dollars. I sighed and backed up. Sarah's ID was downloaded in the same manner.

Though I didn't see how much money was in her wallet, I could tell Sarah didn't have much more money. Just what exactly was she planning on buying with such little funds? I guess she wasn't lying she said she had to save for the trip.

I put the shiny new Dex in my bag. Now, I was ready. What else was there to hold me back? One thing; Sarah wanted to go sightseeing.

As we walked out, into the sunlight, I noted it was about noon. With the test taking over two hours and purchase of Dexes taking the rest, it was my best assumption. And Sarah was also wearing a Poketch.

There wasn't much to really talk about as we walked around Jubilife. In all honesty, it was kinda hard to find any subject we both agreed on, other than Pokemon. When talking about Pokemon, I felt it would only end in a conflict of interests. Still, at least it wouldn't leave me in such an uncomfortable situation.

"So, d-did you have any plans until we leave tomorrow," I asked. It was a boring line. Why'd I say that?

"Well, I did want to go to Jubilife TV Station. Did you hear that they give interviews and spotlights to anyone? I could become a superstar!"

"They actually do that? I know I've seen some newer trainers on TV, but I just assumed they were in some big match, or something like that."

"Well, I think that's how it works. Like, if you do really well, they might allow you an interview, but I'm pretty sure you can go straight to them and try it out. Wanna try?" Would mother and father see? Pretty much everyone in Sinnoh might, really.

"I guess. But let's not disturb too many people there, okay? We don't need a bad record."

"Right," Sarah agreed, before jogging away. Laughing, I decided to race after her.

.

When we arrived, we were both breathing heavily. The large building had several large radio towers and cables running away from it. With the large sign above, we were sure it was the place we were looking for. Though without it, some might mistake it for a power plant. With the large transformers and cables, how couldn't you?

"Eh... it doesn't look as fabulous as the advertisements showed, but... If this is the place, let's go." Sarah was hesitant at the entrance, intimidated by the appearance, but I stepped past her and entered through the doors. Inside was a different story.

"Wow," we breathed. The interior held several plush seats and TVs were positions so every seat faced at least one. The lavish walls and carpet were definitely expensive. Just how much did this all cost? With an elevator visible in the back, I could tell it wasn't some cheap home renovation.

"Em... Can I help the two of you?" The man behind the counter noticed us. Looking around, I noticed only two other people in the room. One was a woman and the man behind that counter. Not the busiest place on Earth. Being the bravest of the two, I decided to step up.

"Um, do you know where we can get an interview or something? We're new trainers, so we-"

"We don't cater to newer trainers. Come back when you actually have something to share, 'kay kid?" I looked at Sarah.

"Well, this sucks. What do we do now? Should we head back to the Pokemon Center?"

"I'm hungry. And this place stinks anyways. Definitely not as advertised." From her tone, I could tell she was angry, but she controlled it. I smirked and followed her out. Her pace was quick, but I did my best to keep up.

Once we stepped outside and were out of sight of the people inside, Sarah ran off to a garbage can. Watching her, I considered following her, but I decided against it when I saw her kick over a trash can. From my distance, I could still hear her colorful string of words as she kicked the trash can again and again.

"So, I'm gonna guess it's dead?" I walked up behind her, her violent outburst finished. The dented metal can had random food items scattered all around it and the can itself was ripped in half. I would make sure to remember this.

"Where's the Poke center? Because I wanna beat up their trash can, too."

"Why a trash can?"

"Because! It's trash! And I want to kill something!"

"Okay? It's back that way... Fine, I guess I'd better follow." Sarah had already ran off towards the center and people. Though I was entertained from the destruction of the can, I'm sure not many others would see it the same way. Most likely she would be arrested, but maybe I could stop it?

Running was easy. I'd done it a lot, especially with Akuma. It wasn't hard to catch up with Sarah as she ran, even if she was going all out. Reaching out for her, I grabbed her shoulder.

"Stop. We can just go earn a few badges and come back! It isn't worth destroying trash cans." Breathing quickly, I struggled to catch my breath now that I was stopped.

"... You're right. I just... I wanted to be on TV and stuff. After... destroying that first trash can for anger, I wanted to get all my anger out. Besides, destroying them is fun. Have... Haven't you done it before?" The people around us looked at us strangely, but didn't interfere with us. Other peoples problems were just that.

"You were going... to do it for fun? Wait, you sound like... like you've don it before. You were a trouble maker up in Snowpoint, weren't you?"

"Well... Maybe just a bit. I was just a bit of a troubling kid. But that's behind me! I... I promise I won't destroy any more things. I'll keep it... under control." Holding up my forearm, I held it out for Sarah to do the same. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry. It's a habit now. It is a Floaroma tradition. Since everyone had dirt on their hands from working in the fields, we shook hands by touching forearms. I'll have to work on it." Laughing, Sarah raised her arm like me.

"Don't worry about it. I have a few traditions myself." Touching forearms, we promised each other. We would stay in control from now on. Hopefully.

.

Returning back to the Pokemon Center, Sarah only kicked the trash can. It didn't fall, but it did have a new dent on it's side. It wasn't really the Center's, but it was close enough for Sarah to dub it so.

Walking in, I went to the counter. The same Nurse Joy from yesterday. With a wink, she took our Pokemon after we showed our new Pokedexes. It was enough proof to allow our Pokemon a quick check up. We were also able to stay one more night, but I agreed we would leave first thing in the morning.

Although the Nurse inquired about my health, I told her I was fine now. After all, I did feel fine. It was simple to hide some truths, but it didn't feel like I was sick. It only took a few words from Sarah to save me, though. The Nurse quickly backed off when Sarah threatened her with a fork. Where she got the fork, I'm still clueless.

"God, that woman! Just who does she think she is?" We were both in the cafeteria of the Pokemon Center, eating some pasta with Pidgey in it. Though Sarah pick at hers in frustration, I was too busy eating it to speak. At least, any comprehensible speech.

"See gut a nurff," I said, past a mouthful of noodles. Though I knew what I said, I'm not sure Sarah did. Still, she continues to speak badly about the Nurse. I laughed at some of them, but I quickly learned my lesson, because Sarah would immediately shove my head into my bowl every time I did.

After a few minutes, she finally began to eat. Though I had already almost finished, I decided to wait for her to finish.

"Are you going to call your parents? You might want to, now that you have a Pokedex. I'm going to, but..." Sarah looked into her bowl.

"Do you have some sort of... bad relation or something? I guess I could say I do, with my Dad."

"No! It isn't like that. I just don't know what they'll say. I've never really been away from my parents."

"Hey. We're in the same boat here. I've never even really left Floaroma, so I've always had a place I called home. It's kinda strange being in a Pokemon Center for a night, you know?" Pulling out my new Pokedex, I looked at all the things and features I could see. While I couldn't see very many apps or games, I did find a few cool things. It could call, message, and take pictures. With Pokemon, it could scan and tell what species it was, along with a few other things. And when scanning a Pokeball, it made it hover via electromagnets!

"Are you done playing with it? Let's go. I'm finished."

"Geez. I'm just having a bit of fun." Together, we dropped off the trays our food came on before heading to call our parents. Only then did I begin to see why Sarah was nervous. What would I say to them? What would they say to me? And how long would they lecture me?

Steeling myself, I knew this was the thing I needed to do. Even if Pokemon Trainers were strong and tough, it couldn't hurt to just say hi. I walked into a corner of the Poke Center's lobby and pulled up the phone app. Dialing their number, I put the metal Dex to my ear. A tone played before I heard a clicking noise.

"Hello? Who is this?" It was my mother!

"H-hey, Mom. I'm here in Jubilife." I was very nervous. No doubt in my mind. I felt the warm red blush covering my entire face from the embarrassment. I began to pace.

"Oh, that's great! I expected you to call yesterday, but I guessed you'd have called soon when you didn't. So, what's... happening? Did you already take your exam?"

"W-well, yeah. I'm calling you from my Pokedex. Don'tworry, because I think I did pretty well."

"Did Akuma behave well? I hope she didn't cause any trouble."

"Actually, I think she did," I flinched, remembering the small Deino chasing the examiner. "But it was cleared up. After that, we just had our pictures taken and uploaded to a Pokedex."

"We? You mean, you and Akuma took a picture together? That's weird, because I never had to do that."

"No! That isn't what happened. I actually met someone, and she's a trainer like me."

"Ooh. A 'she' huh? How cute is she? She tall or short? Give me details! I wanna know who you're dating!"

"Geez, Mom! We aren't dating! We're just traveling together, although we're leaving tomorrow for the Oreburgh Gate. It should be a while until we get there, though." I shifted on my feet before leaning on a chair arm.

"Well fine, but you've got to report back to me if you need any sort of advice. I am a girl, after all."

"Alright! Well, I think I've prepared for our journey and even got a flashlight for the cave. Sarah's got a Dedene, so she should have no problem there. Do you have any advice from going through the Gate?"

"You might need more than a Deino to get through the cave. And this Sarah girl might need something a lot more than a Dedene. Electricity won't make more than a small burn on all those rock Pokemon. On top of that, the place is a labyrinth in there. Make sure you follow the signs closely."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Though Sarah does have a Sneasel, so she should be fine."

"Still, I would feel better if you caught something like a Seedot or a Buizel, maybe a Shroomish, before you went in. You might thank me later." Right. A Water or Grass type would be helpful against the rock and ground types in there, but could I really catch one? Buizel, near rivers. Seedot, in the forests along with Shroomish. I'd have to go back for them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not coming back home for a while. Like Dad said, he wouldn't allow me inside if I came crying home."

"That wasn't what I was trying to say, but okay. It is your choice after all. Anyways, I've got to get back to work. We're finishing up the harvests, remember?" I nodded, even though she couldn't see me.

"Bye, then." Hearing a clicking noise, I could tell she hung up. I closed the phone and put the dex back in my bag. That went better than I expected. Having already exchanged numbers with Sarah, I messaged her saying I was heading out to explore the Pokemon shops nearby. With that, I headed out alone.

.

Of everything on sale, all the merchandise was expensive. I couldn't simply buy whatever. Some places sold training equipment, others offered training. One sold gear, another sold statuettes. It was all very nice, but every single tag made my wallet hurt. I simply couldn't buy anything.

I did see a belt similar to Sarah's, in which she kept her Pokemon, but it would have taken every bill in my pocket to pay for it. I pulled my hat down to cover my face as I backed out of the store fronts. Jubilife wasn't Floaroma. I realized that, but it still made me uncomfortable.

Sarah message me back, saying she had finished her calls, but it was almost half an hour after I left. How girls can talk for so long made me question their abilities. Is that what made their voices so nice and smooth? If so, it must have been a pretty boring exercise. Say as much, I knew I couldn't just talk to someone for that long.

It was peaceful without Sarah beside me, but also a bit lonely and scary. I had no idea where I was going, and no clue who anyone was. True, I hardly knew anyone walking the streets. But these people grew up in a city, meaning they must be tougher than me. I kept my distance from any groups and they kept their distance. I also held my satchel close to myself, my hand covering the closed flap.

The sky grew darker on my walk, though no one really tried to pickpocket me as I expected. With no real amount of money, it was simple just to pass me up. I had no more than a satchel and shivering without a sweatshirt. Still, I did manage to buy something on my trip.

Though it wasn't much, it made the walk worth it. It was just a black and blue beanie, which I promptly swapped out for my hat. With the Seel on the front, it allowed people to mistake my team. It might mislead my opponents, but everyone should know and fear my real Pokemon. That meant my Akuma, for one.

With that out of the way and my wallet another thirty Poke dollars lighter, I began my walk back to the Poke Center. It was colder than before, causing me to withdraw my scarf from my bag. I wrapped the red and fuzzy fabric around my neck, but my arms still grew goosebumps.

The streets became more and more crowded as dinner was just around the corner and people flooded out of work. The sun still hadn't set, but it wasn't even six either. It was my closest guess at when the sun would set. Still, I wouldn't be out here for much longer. The large red and white sign hanging outside the Poke Center was plain in sight, now glowing.

When I walked through the sliding doors, I sighed at the warm air inside. The indoor heating was god above Arceus. I moved to relax in the comfy chairs in the lobby. I saw two men sitting there as well, facing the TV and watching some Pokemon Battle. I didn't know which fight it was.

That is, until I was suddenly jumped by Sarah. It scared me when she appeared out of nowhere, causing me to almost trip. Luckily, I caught myself before the painful fall.

"What're you doing, scaring me like that?!" I straightened my hat and pulled at my scarf. I also noted she was still wearing my grey hoodie, which was the main reason I was cold.

"Because you took too long. I've been waiting for you to get back for over four hours! You could have told me where you were going, and I would have caught up with you. Do you know how boring it is to just play with your Pokedex?"

"S-sorry! I didn't know you wanted to come. But you could've texted me, and maybe asked me?" The two men watching TV glared at us, basically signalling we were annoying. Taking the notion, I drifted away from them.

"Well... That isn't really important. What is important is the planning I've done and what I've read up on."

"So you didn't just do nothing? That's cool."

"Shut up! Besides, I found out that, with my Trainer ID, I can have up to a Risk Level 3 Pokemon accompanying me through towns. Do you know what that means?"

"That you can walk with your Pokemon? I kinda figured that, from what you're saying."

"No, it means that, out of the three Pokemon we have, I can have Perry out." Why only her Dedene?

"Okay? But what about Yami and Akuma? Why can't they walk with us?"

"Because. It should be obvious. They are dangerous. Yami is a Risk Level 4, but your Akuma is a Level 5 or 6. Once we get gym badges, though, those restrictions can be lifted. You understand?"

"Yeah, it seems pretty simple. So, once I beat the Oreburgh Gym, Akuma can walk around town with me?"

"Eh... Maybe not. I didn't understand that part very well. Apparently, once you show aptitude with your Pokemon in Gym Battles, they can lift your restrictions. I think."

"So, not soon? Because that kinda sucks. I want to give Akuma the opportunities to... well, I guess she can't see yet. Maybe she could get used to people some other way, huh? I don't want her to attack humans anymore."

"Since she can't see, she'll have to determine if it's human or not. Maybe using voice? Or even seismic vibrations?"

"Seismic Vibrations? You mean, like a Garchomp? She isn't like that, but I'm sure we can deal with it once the time comes. Anyways, let's talk about the planning on the way to dinner. I'm hungry."

"That's fine with me, but it's kinda important." I nodded and started walking towards the exit. "Where do you plan to eat exactly? There's a cafeteria right there."

"I want another Miltank Burger, of course! Don't worry, though. No more races." I laughed, walking out into the cold and dusky night. The sun had already set and dyed the clouds an explosion of red and orange. All the lights on the street were on and lit the way for the side walk. And I could already see a burger stand.

.

After a tasty burger, this one savored rather than inhaled, it was already dark. The lovely colors that covered the sky had already faded and was replaced with the dim lights of stars. It was colder and goosebumps formed on my arms, but I tried to cover up with my scarf. Sarah didn't notice as she had my hoodie and the darkness hid my skin. The streetlamps couldn't illuminate enough to show.

Together, Sarah and I discussed the "plans" she had in mind. Most of it steered towards almost every historical landmark in Sinnoh, but some of it was relevant to me. Like the gym battles and stuff. That being said, it was too slow for me. It would be a year before my second gym battle, which I couldn't handle. So, we ended up arguing.

"No, if we go to the Xatu Forest, we'll be going backwards," I practically yelled. "It won't help us just because they have the shines there!"

"But it's Lord Xatu's shine. It would be wise to make a sacrifice and let him see our futures. It would be a blessing to know if there is immediate danger."

"Like Lord Xatu could really see the future and past at the same time. I say it's just a creepy bird."

"Saying that might bring down the entire Xatu Sect on your head," Sarah said with a smug look on her face.

"I'll give you a whole hundred Poke dollars if they actually get me for this... See? Nothing's gonna happen." I returned to eating my burger, this time with a more controlled manner. I knew all too well the consequences of my own actions.

"But we still should at least visit some of these. Like, the Psyduck Lake and the Flower Forest of Floaroma!"

"Pfft! You wanna see those? They're little more than what people claim as important. The flowers in Floaroma might be rare enough to create the rumors of a legendary Flower Pokemon, but Psyduck Lake is hardly more than a puddle. Have you seen the pictures? It's barely big enough to keep it on the map. Isn't it near Celestic Town?"

"Yeah, but they are still places we should see at least once. It might be good for the experiences."

"Not interested. I'd rather get the badges before seeing a puddle or flowers. Or a shrine."

"It isn't a race! Many people need years to complete the circuit, you know?" It's one of the main things being told on the guides. Take it slow and progress will come steadily. I guess she had a point.

"Fine," I gave in. "It wouldn't hurt to see some of them. Not saying I want to see all of them, but I'll look at a few." I knew I did want to see a few of them, as I was curious. But seeing all of them would be worthless and time consuming.

"So, should we go to Xatu Forest first?"

"No more about stupid Xatus! We're going to Oreburgh first! After the first gym, then we can see the sights." I closed my eyes as I finished off my burger. I thought about getting another one. My outburst made me feel guilty, though, but I tried to push the thoughts away.

"No need to snap at me. Fine, I guess Mr. Boss wants to go to Oreburgh first..." Sarah opened her Pokedex and began to delete the whole first month of activities. No way was I going to let the chance to battle the gym leaders slip. It was my main goal, after all. A Champion had to beat every leader in Sinnoh, maybe even the world. I hope I can do it quickly, though.

"Anyways, it's starting to get late. Half past six. Got any plans after this? Or you want to get ready for tomorrow?" I stretched and tossed the sandwich to the trash. It landed like a three pointer.

"Nice throw. Well, I've got a ton of rewriting to do, I guess. Though, we don't have to do a speed run of the League. We could take it one battle at a time, until we get to the end. It would be better if we take is slow."

"I know," I sighed. There it was again. "It's just... I want to be the best and no one can do it over night. But who's to say they can't do it in, say, two years?"

"Now you're just crazy. No one beats it perfectly after only two years. What was the last guy who had a perfect score? Like, two or three years ago? He made it after three and a half years and his Pokemon were tough. They say he might become the next champion, too." Yeah, but I was going to be along shortly to take the place. Might take a bit longer than two years, but I'd get there.

"C'mon. Let's not talk about the late future just yet. Like you said, let's take it a bit slower now. Then we can decide on the future later. For now, let's prepare for the trip." I tried to hide my shiver as I began to walk, but Sarah saw it.

"Here," she said, pulling off the hoodie. Once she gave it back, I saw her skin again, though it must have been cold. I just hoped her Snowpoint blood kept her more comfortable than me. As I pulled it on, I smelled Sarah on it. Sweet bonus, I guess. Better than my own scent, I guess. Besides, it was warm, too! Double!

.

That night, I spent hours on my Pokedex. Literally, writing is the devil. I swear it is. With all the greatness of reading, the opposite was for writing, especially on a Dex. Even drawing was easier! Still, I needed to let the ideas and thoughts in my head meet... not paper, but it was saved in text.

Even though I knew Sarah was doing the same, I was doing the same to make it more realistic. As if I was going to become a saint like her, that was really hilarious. Going to a shine was pointless, because even a true god wouldn't care about the actions of mortals. Why would it?

It was true that there was no proof there was no god, but maybe there was one. It wouldn't be mine, but at least all the followers wouldn't be wrong.

With several paragraphs written, I felt I was ready for the upcoming events. Mostly. I still hadn't seen most of what I was coming up against, but that was what Jubilife TV was for. Their League Channel followed every single battle and reported the most important Pokemon News or Emergencies. Fortunately, the Dex already came with the App installed.

Along with the news and phone related apps, I also downloaded a game or two for the road. It would be boring with just Sarah and Akuma. Games were my answer to that. Though I wondered about food, I realized I would have to actually actively hunt rather than trap Pokemon. We wouldn't be sitting still long enough to catch anything. Good thing Akuma and Sarah's Yami were perfect hunters.

And, after all that, it was already past ten. Sarah had messaged me she had taken a shower already and was going to bed, asking if I'd done the same, but I ignored it. Why would she ask anyways?

Still, now that I reread the message, I found the wisdom in it. We planned to leave early tomorrow, so why not sleep now? Though the bed was soft, the water was warm. After a shower and a quick brush of my teeth and change into my spare set of clothes, I put the grey sweatpants in my bag.

Obeying the draws of the shadows, I delved into the realm of memories and dreams. Ah, sleep was so nice.

.

That morning, I got the same waking as the day before. Loud knocking was sounded at my door and I groggily slipped out of bed. Grabbing my water bottle from yesterday, I drank the last of it before opening the door. Instead of Sarah, however, it was instead a Nurse John.

"Excuse me for waking you, sir, but since you did not return the sweatpants lent to you, you have to pay the price or return them now. You also have a few other expenses, so it would be helpful if you cleared these up." He showed me a tag and expected money. Sighing, I decided to pay for them. They were comfy and soft. I pulled out a bill from my bag and handed it to the man. It made me cringe, but my wallet felt the real pain. It was 76 dollars lighter, after all.

After closing the door, I groaned and dropped my bag back to the floor where I found it and fell onto the bed. It didn't matter what the rules were, why'd they have to wake me up this early? My eyes closed and I began to drift back to sleep. Another round of knocks woke me, however. Who was it now? This had better be good.

I opened the door again and saw my female partner, her blond hair now styled to be wavy and her backpack on her back. It's blue color contrasted her clothes, which were black and yellow. Like a bee, striped and everything. A small orange and round ball of fur was on her shoulder.

"Is that Perry," I asked, the sleep apparent in my voice.

"Yeah, and rise and shine to you, too. Now, get ready! I'm burning to get moving. Kinda boring now, Jubilife. Not very lively in the fall, now is it?" I smiled before letting Sarah in. I was already dressed, so no reason not to. She took the offer before jumping onto the bed.

"So? Did you get woken up by a Nurse this morning?"

"No. Wait, don't tell me she came to your room, did she?"

"It's not like that. I just had a few expenses to pay. You know, mini fridge and stuff." Sarah laughed.

"Don't tell me you actually ate that stuff," she managed out. "I mean, that stuff just looks nasty." Now that I've seen it, yes it did.

"Look, it was dark and I was hungry. Just ate whatever. Desperate nights, I say!" I smiled as she laughed again. I went to the bathroom and began brushing my teeth. After picking my scarf and hat off the floor, I spit out the toothpaste and rinsed. After slipping on my hoodie, I was ready and grabbed my bag.

"You know, you don't change much. Kinda boring."

"Geez, such a moral booster," I grumbled, closing the door behind us. I jumped down the stairs and quickly made it to the ground. Sarah followed quickly and we pulled out our room cards before putting them on the counter for the Nurse to return. Once we had nothing holding us back, the journey really began as we stepped out into the light. Now! On to Route 203!

.

The end of Jubilife was quite sudden. The houses and tall buildings cut off at a certain point, meaning it was the beginning of the Route. We could be challenged to a battle here. Of course, most trainers would have already left, so there wasn't much chance of that happening. Still, I was cautious as I crossed that line.

"Hurry up already. Wasn't it you who said we need to get to Oregurgh as soon as we can?" Sarah was already ten meters into the route when I jumped over the border and followed her, finally, down the paved road. It wasn't meant for cars, though. Travel between cities by car would be too easy for any trainer. Of course, teleport was quicker. Cars were beginning to be something only for the rich, I noticed.

"So... this got a little less... It's not as exciting as I thought it would be." Where was the trainer that was supposed to test my Pokemon?

"Did you expect a fanfare from trumpets or something? Like that would ever happen."

"Hey, I could make it happen. Just would take a bit of money, that's all." And I don't think my wallet could handle that. Really, it was thin enough as it is.

"Right," she said, almost smiling. "So, do you know who the Champion is? Like, the current one?" A picture of a girl with pure red hair flashed in my head.

"Yeah, I think so. Isn't her name Yelena? Or is that someone else?"

"No, you're right. Did you know she actually came from Unova? That's why her name sounds so strange. Not to mention her taste in fashion, huh?" I didn't care much for fashion, but it was the Champion we were talking about.

"I knew she wasn't Sinnoen, but that's about it. What's so special about Unova, though?"

"Not much, really. I just heard it was over seas. Like how Kalos, Alola, and Hoenn are. Still, it makes you wonder why she came here to become the Champion. Why not become Champion in the Unova region?" I glanced back and saw the buildings growing smaller.

"It's weird, because Unova is supposed to be huge for a region." Most of the next few hours went on, talking about this Pokemon and that trainer. Sarah brought up a Kanto Champion everyone knew, Red, but he was long dead by about two hundred years. He was a kid when he became the Champion, but that was a different time.

The buildings and tech from Jubilife began to fade into the trees and grass of the wilderness. It was nice, with the air beginning to lose the city smell. To be honest, it reminded me of the time I spent training with Akuma. I think I even saw a group of Bidoof running from the sight of us.

With the borders of the city behind us, Sarah decided to let her Sneasel out. Once it caught on to what we were doing, it began dancing. It was a strange dance, to say for sure. With a quick combination of spins and jumps, Yami was already several paces in front of us.

I felt Akuma's Pokeball in my pocket, but I wasn't so sure about it. If anything, she might mistake anything for an enemy or food. Who was to say she'd get lost or something? For now, it was best if she stayed in her Pokeball for now.

It wasn't like we were holding hands, but my mental image of my mother made me blush. She'd tell me to take the chance and just do it. But, I didn't know her that well. Every time the thought came up, I made a small distance between Sarah and myself. Not much, but it began to grow after some time.

We still talked, about this and that, though we also argued. About this and that, with our contrasting perspectives. Still, much development to which I was very much oblivious to happened. The scenery changed and a small forest began to close around us, along with more Pokemon appearing. I saw several Starly, Pidgey, Bidoof, Rattata, and a few Sentret, but didn't think much of it.

"Man, it's gotten dark. Is there, like, a ghost Pokemon around here or something?" Sarah unconsciously gravitated towards me, but I tried to keep my distance.

"No, it just seems like a normal forest to me," I replied as I looked around. Several Kricketot were chirping in the trees, which annoyed me, but I knew they would soon go into hibernation for the Winter. Like most Bugs, once the snow hit, they would all vanish. It made me a little tolerant of them.

"Still, it seems kinda cold. Are those Venipede looking at me?" She looked from tree to tree, pointing at the red and purple bugs around us.

"Calm down. They're just building their nests for the cold. Leave them in peace and they'll leave you in peace. My Mom told me that." I walked past the small Venipede, making sure not to touch any of them for risk of disturbing the hive. I saw Sewaddle and Swadloon doing a similar thing, and made curtains of silk. We would only see their nests of silk in the Winter before they emerged as evolved Leavanny.

Ah, the cycles of bug-type evolution...

"Okay, I think I don't like Bugs much. Can we leave the forest already?"

"It's not all bugs. Look, it's an Aipom! That's kinda a cool sight, right?" Three hand-tailed monkeys swung past, an armful of berries and nuts in their arms. It _was_ a cool sight, but I had no plans on catching one. The real question was this; Which Pokemon would I catch?

Almost in answer of my question, a bush next to me began to rustle. Both of us pulled out a Pokeball as the Pokemon inside tried to escape. Finally, a Budew fell out of the bush. This would do nicely. I would catch a Budew for my second team member. Together, Sarah and I used our Pokeballs.

* * *

 **Got this far. What's a little more? Why do I love this story so? In all honesty, I thought it would majorly flop. Thanks to some funny inspiration, I can say my hopes with it has been mostly satisfied. Mostly. I'll still play with some ideas I have for it and I'll get back with you all. Never gonna give it up, not for a while.**

 **It would really help me if anyone wants to be added into the story as I will find a place for anyone. Remember, I've mostly planned out all major character until the fourth gym, but I also have an idea for the Champion. If you want me to add any other, I'm open. Thanks!**

 **LowePlays is gonna sleep now. Power at 6%.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel


	5. Training the Team

**Guys... I'm sorry. Really. I didn't post for two weeks, and I promised it would be out soon, too. I spent too much time playing games. Now! Writing! I gotta do it! Yeah!**

 **Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter of my story. It's also nice that MetalDargon likes the idea of my story. Hope I don't steal his audience...**

* * *

In two bright flashes, one Pokemon materialized while the other disappeared. I looked to Sarah, realizing she simply threw an empty Pokeball without weakening it. It was suitable to what happened, because the ball burst apart before the ring was half complete.

"Okay, Akuma. This one isn't food. Just attack it, but don't eat it. I don't want you poisoned." Akuma, who was focused on the source of the explosion, simply attacked. A set of shadowed fangs chomped down into the Budew, drawing a green and purple fluid. I guessed it was blood.

The small plant made several attempts to escape the dark jaws that bit into it, but a dragon's maw was known for being inescapable. Alive, at least.

Seeing it so badly injured, I called out to my dragon to stop. Instead, she simply bit into a new part. I just hoped the Budew didn't inject enough poison to hurt her.

Though I didn't plan to yet, I withdrew one of the Pokeballs I bought back in Jubilife. Still, if I didn't do something, Akuma would probably kill the poor thing. Glancing at Sarah, I threw the ball.

In a third flash, the Budew disappeared for a second time. I ran forward and grabbed onto my Deino's fur. She'd already done enough damage to it.

The ring was slow, but it finally made it to a full green circle. With a click, it was done. I'd caught my second Pokemon. I ceremoniously picked up the Pokeball and check the stats.

"We need to go," I said, still looking at my Budew's info panel. My Akuma also vanished and I put both of them in my pocket.

"What's wrong? You didn't kill it, did you?" Sarah still had her Dedene calmly sleeping on her shoulder, but her Sneasel was nowhere to be seen. She'd returned Yami before entering the forest, but only because it was wandering too far.

"No, it's just that I think I might. The Budew is badly injured with internal bleeding and broken thorns. It needs immediate care." Most of what I said was directly off the screen. Pulling out Akuma's Pokeball, I checked how she was.

With the status of being poisoned, my fear was met. Along with a few scratches, she would need a Nurse. We had to get back to Jubilife.

"We need to go back ASAP!" I simply started running. Back the way we came, I undid the walk we covered.

"Wait," Sarah called before joining in. With her large backpack, I wasn't surprised as she began to fall behind. It didn't really matter, as it was my Pokemon that needed attention, not hers. In a medical situation, that is.

My shoes slapped against the concrete as I entered Jubilife for the second time. Though it was only at the borders of the city, I already felt the buildings were too tall. Still, I had business.

Pushing past business men and random civilians, I ran back through the city. Though I tried to say sorry to most, I bumped into some without a second glance. Still, all that really mattered was the Pokeball-themed sign in front of me.

Panting heavily, I held the stitches I fought in my side. Walking inside, I looked back to see if Sarah was still behind me. But, no one followed me.

"Hello, sir. How may we help you? What's the rush about?" The Nurse Joy behind the counter was a different one than I remembered, but I didn't care much.

"My Pokemon... They've been injured."

"That's what I'd assume you'd be here for. Could you show me a Trainer ID before you give me your Pokemon?" Pulling out the Pokeballs and Dex, I gave both to the Nurse. After checking it, she took both Akuma and the Budew into the back.

"Since they appear to be quite young Pokemon, the healing shouldn't take more than an hour or two, but you might have to wait three. We have a cafeteria to your left and a washing machine if you'd like to use it."

"I'll wait. I have a companion coming shortly." Walking to the chairs in the lobby, I picked up a remote on the table. Grabbing a comfy seat, I prepared to wait.

For the next hour, I generally just skimmed through the channels. I stopped at the League's channel as I saw a battle commencing.

"Now, the challenger has taken his position. The gym leader, Caroline, has also take her position." I looked at the two trainers and recognized the leader. This was the Eterna gym, near Floaroma.

As I watched, the leader released a small Lotad while the opponent sent out a Charmeleon. Probably assuming, since it was a grass gym, the gym leader would hold only that type. It was a cool strategy.

Off that bat, I wondered that, at it's level of power, the Lotad was still simply a Lotad. Still, as soon as it spat out a jet of water, I knew that didn't matter.

The Charmeleon wasn't bad either. It easily spun to avoid the shot, the water passing between it's tail and body. I was blown away by the sheer agility the Meleon had. And it displayed it's talent several times, only being grazed by the attacks. Still, those jets came dangerously close to the flame on it's tail. Though it was hotter and larger than a Charmander's, it still would weaken any of the line if it went out. Reignition would not be fun, either.

Being a water type, the Lotad made it's way to the small pond at the edge of the arena. It sank down and disappeared, only it's Pad visible from the surface. The Charmelon grew confident as the small and slow Lotad sat in the middle of the pond. I saw it was getting cocky.

When it came closer to the pond, it's advance in little more than a walk, it stopped. It opened it's mouth and began to spew out flames across the water. A famous move named Flamethrower. It touched the plant on the Lotad's head, but I knew this strategy. Being in the water, the flames couldn't hurt it. I could see steam rising, but the Lotad just sat in the water. And it was unharmed.

Once the fire stopped, the small plant rose from the water. From the cheeks, I could tell it had plenty of water at it's disposal. Opening it's bill, a powerful jet streamed forth. It smashed into the now exhausted fire lizard and sent it flying across the arena. It was so obvious it was over, because the Charmeleon just laid there. With it's flame still alight, it was easy to see it was still alive.

"Hey, there," a voice said, exhausted. A hand grabbed my shoulder. I looked up and saw Sarah, her face obviously sweaty.

"Hi. How's it going?"

"You're an ass, you know that? You could've waited for me." She dropped her bag to the floor and collapsed into the chair next to mine.

"How long has been? Maybe forty minutes since I got here? And don't worry. My Pokemon will be fine in... How long did she say? About an hour?" I had to use my fingers to count, but I turned back to the screen in time to see the small Lotad knock down another Pokemon. The challenger had sent out a Luxio, but the type advantage still didn't favor him as a Solar Beam knocked the large cat back. It collapsed and was called by the commentator.

"So, I'm hungry already. Can we go eat?" Sarah obviously didn't have much interest in watching others battle. Though I'd never seen it much myself, I felt battling myself would be better. Against Sarah, though, I was at a disadvantage still. My new Budew would absorb the Dedene's attacks, but would fall to her Sneasel along side Akuma. At least I was better off than before.

"Uh, sure." I took one last look at the fight and saw the challenger was not going to win, sending out a Noctowl. I stood up and followed Sarah, who was almost dragging her bag behind her.

Once inside the Cafeteria, we both dropped our things at a table. I kept my wallet with me, but I decided it was easiest to leave my bag.

At the counter was an old man, serving three things; Potatoes, Pidgey strips, and salad. Grabbing a tray, I took one of each, as well as a fork, before returning to my seat. With Sarah right across from me, it was easy to see we got the same thing.

"So? Gonna ceremoniously and graciously start us off? Tell me how it tastes?" Rolling my eyes, I did as she asked and stabbed a few potatoes with some leaves. I bit into them and, miraculously, survived. That didn't stop me from faking choking.

"Gotcha," I said, taking a bite of the Pidgey strip. For once, the cafeteria amazes me. They actually made one thing taste good. Not as great as a Miltank Burger, but still pretty good.

We didn't talk much while we ate. Nothing was serious, but nothing seemed right. Anything I said in my head sounded wrong, and she didn't talk either. It wasn't until the Nurse Joy who took my Pokemon waved me over that anything really happened.

"Um, yes?" I was nervous for anything that would or might have happened.

"Well, your Pokemon have been healed. You are free to take them at any time, though we'd prefer you take them now." I smiled and nodded. Reaching behind the counter, the Nurse withdrew a tray and set it down. I took my Pokeballs and put them into my pocket. I thanked the Nurse Joy for her care and returned to Sarah.

"So," she started." You got your Pokemon back? Becasue that means we can finally get out of here. I'm already sick of the crowds." I sat down and took one last bite of my potatoes. Though there was still some salad, I chose to not finish it.

"Yeah, me too," I said, swallowing my food. I'd never been to big on crowds, since I was from the small town of Floaroma. "So? It might be noon, but better late than never. Besides, I want to tame my new Budew tonight." Sarah stood and took her tray to the trash cans and dumped anything left into the bin. I did the same and put mine with the growing pile of trays.

Together, we walked out of the Pokemon Center, our bags on our back. This time, we'd stay gone. Yeah.

Since I'd already done it, it was easy to cross the boundary beside Sarah, who led the way. Her Dedene, Perry, was chittering around on her shoulder as it ate a berry Sarah picked. I thought about letting my Budew out of it's ball, but it was probably best to wait until we stopped for the night.

We passed a familiar scene of grass and trees, walking down the path a second time. We saw a herd of Deerling and Sawsbuck as they hopped away into the trees. They wouldn't mess with any trainers, being so close to the path.

It only took an hour or so until we reached the same forest I met the Budew in. There were the same bugs and plants around, but Sarah still got nervous of them. Still, we trekked through it.

"Is it just me or do these trees look like they're closing in on us?" I glanced around at them, before looking at Sarah.

"They just look like trees to me," I responded. "Not moving and staying still."

"Really? Because I think one of them moved." I looked around again.

"Will you stop that? You're making me nervous. There aren't any moving trees." In fact, the only thing I could see moving was the leaves in the wind. I think I even saw the end of the leafy tunnel, but it was still several and many meters away. "Let's just get out of here."

"My thoughts exactly." Together, we sped up as we moved towards the growing light. Finally, even though I felt as if something was going to happen, we'd gone unscathed.

"See? Nothing wrong, nothing going on." I released my held breathe as I enjoyed seeing the sun, even though the air was not as warm. With my Pokedex in hand, the map of Sinnoh appeared once I touched the app. We were barely outside of Jubilife.

"Are we really only this far from the city? I thought we were further." I showed Sarah so she could also see.

"What do you expect? To get to the Gate by dinner? It's probably going to be three or four days until we get there."

"It is? Wow, I didn't expect us to be that far. Sinnoh always looked smaller than this in school. A whole three days to travel a few centimeters?"

"Try getting to Snowpoint. I took the train because no one wants to teleport up there; the ruins up there interfere. There is only one way up and it takes a few hours. It's no wonder it takes so long to walk that far." Sighing, I began walking again. Sarah fell in step with me and took out a package of gummy Pokemon.

"Want one," she offer me the bag. With a firm grip, she ripped off the corner. Shaking my head, I denied her. Shrugging, she pour a few into her hand and stuffed them in her mouth.

Hours passed as we walked down the same paved path. It was the same as before the bug-filled forest, grasslands and trees. It was nice being around the nature rather than the city, with Pokemon around instead of people. Without hesitation, they ran, though.

The sun began to dip below the edge of the trees before we finally stopped. Sarah was the one who suggested it, to which I silently thanked her. My legs were beginning to hurt, too. Dropping to the grass, we were just inside the trees. We could still see the Route, but they most likely wouldn't see us.

"So, what should do for dinner? I'm starting to get hungry." Sarah dropped her bag to the ground and leaned up against a tree like me. I myself could agree I was beginning to feel hungry, but I wasn't exactly ready to eat. It was difficult to think about anyways.

"Well, I did hunt for Akuma back in Floaroma. I set traps and captured several Pokemon, most of which she ate. If we can hunt here, should give us some food. For us and our Pokemon." Smiling, Sarah pulled out her Dusk ball.

"Good thing I've got a perfect hunter." Lower level Pokemon would be easy for a Sneasel, especially a bird or psychic type. With Akuma and Perry, active hunting might go well. If Akuma doesn't eat it first.

"Well, we should probably start hunting immediately, but it would be easier to go without our bags." I pulled out my knife and strapped it to my leg. "Where should we put them?"

"How should I know? Maybe underground or in a tree?" Underground? Too dirty. In a tree? Too obvious. But, what if the two ideas met?

"We could camouflage them. Using a small hole and foliage, we can keep them hidden as a bush or something. Right?" As it was the best plan of action, Sarah nodded. I looked to a branch in the trees and jumped up the it. Pulling myself onto it, I began pressing my weight into it.

Hearing a sharp snapping noise, the branch was ripped from the tree and I fell to the ground. Brushing myself off, I held the branch at arms distance. It was a little taller than myself,but it would work.

"What was that for," Sarah asked.

"It's a makeshift shovel. See? I broke it to create this scoop-shaped shard." Shoving the end into the ground, I lifted out a small amount of dirt. "See?" Getting to work, I began a shallow hole while Sarah collected leafy branches on my orders.

Once I had a fairly acceptable dent in the ground, I dropped my bag inside. Sarah did the same and we began to lay branches over them. Perry tried to help by putting small leaves over the pile.

After it was deemed hidden, I sighed and sat down beside it. There was enough covering the bags that it could have been mistaken for raked leaves or a dense bush. The plan was for the latter.

"So... What do we hunt for?" Sarah released her Yami next to her, the snow hunter waiting to use it's claws. "You are the boss, Mr. Hunter." I thought about what was around.

"Smaller Pokemon would be the easiest, so avoid anything larger than, say, a meter?" Akuma was already standing at two feet or so, and anything smaller than her was easily eaten. Pidgey and Bidoof would be perfect for a meal. Pulling out a Pokeball, I pressed the button and released Akuma.

"Hey, there. Ready for some fun? We've got to go get food, and you're gonna help, okay?" At the sound of food, Akuma opened her mouth and began to jump around in excitement. She was obviously hungry and ready for a meal.

"'Some fun,' huh? I wonder what that really is for a Deino." With Sarah's voice, Akuma tensed up, but didn't move to attack. My hand rested on her back. With a familiar voice and my recognition of her, Akuma allowed her to stay. Not to say she was comfortable with Sarah, but that she allowed it.

"So, Sarah. Is Yami and Perry ready?" With a nod in response, I gave a thumbs up.

"Okay, Akuma. Follow me, but be careful. We aren't in Floaroma anymore." Starting off, we began walking further into the forest. Akuma did well to keep up and occasionally tried to catch up to the dancing Sneasel, but didn't get closer out of fear. I assumed she just sensed the weakness, as well as akin abilities Yami had.

I was afraid Yami might attack if Akuma got too close, but he seemed to have no intentions of harming my Pokemon. He obviously spent some time in training. Akuma was the one I needed to watch. Several times she'd almost run into trees and off hills she couldn't yet sense. I planned to use Sarah's idea to improve her abilities, but I decided it could wait.

We spent several minutes scouting around before I saw a Hoothoot still asleep in a tree. Looking to Sarah, I saw the small electric fuzzball sitting on her shoulder.

"Mind giving it a bit of zapping," I whispered, pointing towards the sleeping bird. Sarah whispered the order to Perry, who began rubbing it's cheeks. Then, a bolt of electricity issued from it's cheeks and hit the Hoothoot. It promptly fell to the ground, dead.

"That was a good attack, little Perry." I looked to Akuma, who I held by the fur. She struggled to approach the fallen Pokemon, but I decided not to feed her just yet. "Now calm down. I haven't given you permission yet." She still tried to get at the Hoothoot as I held her back, but I managed to pick up the fallen bird. It smoked slightly, but it was mostly unharmed. Cooking it would be simpler, I guess.

"That's quite an impatient Dragon. And Greedy, too."

"She's always hungry, I swear."

"If she needs to eat, give her the bird. She'll bite you to get to it, most likely." I looked at her. I planned to give it to Sarah, who had killed it. Still, it struck me at how easily she gave the command and followed through.

"Are you sure? It's small enough for us to share."

"It's fine. Just... You can give it to her." Shrugging, I whistled and stomped, giving the bird to Akuma. She instantly took the Hoothoot and began to dig into it. Sarah turned away from the sight and puked. So she wasn't so strong after all.

"It's just a little blood. Trainers are supposed to be strong, right?" I'd gotten used to the sight a while back, but I began to remember my first time. I'd done the same, so it was hard to blame her.

"Trainers are just normal people. Don't get the idealistic version confused with who you are. That's what my Dad always told me." What did that mean? Trainers are strong, right? What's wrong with that? Still, it must have been hard to give that command like I ordered her to. Why didn't she say so?

"I didn't mean to upset you, it's just that's what I was taught. Sorry." My hand trailed near Akuma's back and ruffled her fur. She still ripped apart the flesh and bit into bones. Sarah began to gag at the noise, but it struck me as weird that I wasn't affected anymore. Was I becoming a heartless killer?

"It's... It's fine." Sarah began to walk away, her Sneasel following disappointed. I guess it wanted a bit to eat as well. I shrugged and waited for my Deino to finish.

.

The entire trip wasn't as successful as I had planned it to be, but it still allowed us to eat. The plan was to give Akuma two bird Pokemon to eat, but the Hoothoot was all she got. Yami was able to catch a Rattata with his claws and quickly swallowed all of it before any of us could really see what he'd caught.

Luckily, Sarah and I were able to find a small Ducklett near a pond. After a quick survey, we couldn't find any Swanna. Using Perry's ranged electric attacks, we were able to eliminate it with ease. Though it did notice us, it was just in time to be struck with a quick and powerful bolt of electricity. It made me wonder how much training it received to one-shot these birds.

Granted, they were birds, but still...

Gathering up the corpse, I began to walk back to the camp. My stomach was a-rumbling and I wanted some food. The same couldn't be said for Sarah as she was more disgusted with the Ducklett than eager to eat. All that mattered was that I was having roasted Ducklett.

As we walked back into the small clearing with our bags, I saw no differences. No change in anything, but light as the sun dropped beneath the horizon. As such, it was almost completely dark.

"At least our bags are still here," Sarah said, pulling her backpack out of the leaves. She unzipped it and pulled out a few tools. With the cover of darkness, I could only make out the outlines. Stepping closer, I pulled my own bag out of the makeshift bush. Just in time to avoid a cascade of sparks over the greenery.

"Woah, my bag was in there a second ago! What if it burned?"

"But it wasn't. Now go find some dry branches. Or this fire won't last long." I began mocking her in the dark as I stomped away, the Ducklett still over my shoulder.

After finding some good size branches, I dragged them back to camp. Proceeding to stomp them into smaller lengths was the next orders I fulfilled. After the fuel was prepared, I began work on skinning the meal, keeping the food away from Akuma. My knife easily cut through the skin and muscle, grazing bones and poking organs.

With the growing light, it was easier to see my work. I felt a twist in my gut, but that was it. The feathers were easy to deal with and left a pile on the ground at my feet. The internal organs, however, were a different story. Shaking it didn't help and no acts of courage came over me to tear them out.

Still, my knife helped, even though it involved mutilating the muscles. The organs were thrown into the fire as quick as possible, but Akuma still managed to eat a lung and the heart. Finally, I skinned a stick and impaled the Ducklett. Sarah couldn't bare watching as I held it over the healthy fire she'd built.

The smell and sound of cooking meat began to fill the air as it was cooked. My skills as a survivalist chef were okay by my standards, but I still wasn't very good. Besides, without the proper equipment, it was difficult to hold it perfectly. It might have been burned a bit in some places, but it turned out fine underneath.

It took about twenty minutes for me to deem it edible. Pulling it away from the fire, my eyes adjusted and I saw two plastic plates, along with metal forks set on a log Sarah must've dragged over. Was that all from her bag?

I carried the skewered meat over to the 'Table' that had been set. Having no place to put it, I settled for sticking it into the ground near the sitting place. Looking for Sarah herself, she was adjusting some fabric on the ground. She had a tent?!

"Hey, uh, the Ducklett is ready. Whenever you want..." As I watched, Sarah bent a pole and stuck the end into a bit in the ground. The entire structure rose to form an igloo.

"Okay. Be there in a minute." I pulled out my knife and began to cut into the wood. Two marks were made before making a sort of hilt, keeping the cooked bird from falling to the ground. Then the pole was pushed into the dirt near the log, just in time for Sarah to leave her tent.

It made me wonder where I was going to sleep, but I shook my head and served myself a plate of meat. Sarah did the same, taking a small portion.

Not saying it was Pidgey Strips or anything, but I could say I did pretty well for my first time cooking. The only thing missing was salt. With the dry texture, it was hard to swallow. Besides, I always took salt with my meats. But the most difficult part was keeping my food from Akuma, who tried to steal my food if I wasn't paying attention.

Sarah had no problem giving her food to Akuma, throwing a bit to her. Using the sounds of it landing, the Deino found the food in the grass before eating it. I gave a glance to Sarah, but she just poked at her food. Her fork hit the plastic plate with a dull boink. When I was finished, I took my seconds of Ducklett.

"Are you going to eat more," I asked. "Because Akuma and Yami look like they would like some more to eat."

"No. I don't really feel hungry anymore." Says the one who was complaining about eating in the first place. Still, more for Akuma and Yami. Preforming the dinner call, I lifted up the pole from the ground. My arm acted as a pivot as I held it out for Akuma.

"Did you want some, Yami? Still some left if you act now." Understanding me, the lithe black hunter sliced off a small chunk before Akuma reached the Ducklett. She was still tentative about approaching Yami, but the Dragon got close enough so she could take a bit of the flesh.

Yami, on the other hand, didn't really care and wandered to lay near the tent Sarah had built. Once he left, Akuma hungrily stole the cooked corpse and devoured what was left of it. It was a bit sadistic, but I couldn't keep myself from smiling. Sarah was still busy "eating" to notice.

"Soo... Where do I wash these?" I held up my dirty plate and fork.

"I... didn't think about that. There is that pond back there, so I guess there?" Nodding, I began to walk into the trees. "Wait! Don't leave me here alone!"

"Are you scared of the dark," I teased. I turned around as Sarah jumped off the log to follow.

"N-no! Just... what there might be in the dark." I smiled and continued into the trees. Sarah followed me, along with Akuma, as she didn't know where to go.

It wasn't far to the pond where we killed the Ducklett, but it was far enough away that we could only barely see the glow of our fire. When we arrived, a few Surskit jumped out of the water and into the nearby bushes.

The cold water greeted my hands when I plunged the dishes into the pond. My hands almost dropped them as reflex kicked in. Fighting it, I kept a grip on the fork and plate and began to clean them off as I felt needles against my skin. Next to me, Sarah did the same, but jumped back with a squeal.

"It's so co~old!" I pulled the dishes out of the water and nodded while I shivered. My hands, I noticed, were paper white.

"J-just do i-it. That- That's all I t-told myself while I-I was c-cleaning them." The air didn't help it, being near forty or fifty degrees by my guess. And it felt like ten.

"O-okay. I guess I'll give it another go..." Slowly, she put the dishes in the water again, but kept her hands above the surface. I smirked as I thought about splashing her, but I also knew she'd probably kill me if I did.

Fortunately, something else wanted to do it, too. Approaching the water, Akuma jumped into the pond and splashed water over Sarah. Both of them struggled to retreat from the cold water now covering them. Laughing, I began stepping backwards and tried to hide it.

Turning on me, Sarah punched me in the shoulder. The fork in her hand barely missed me. I looked to Akuma, who began to shake off the water as she swam out of the water. Seems she likes baths now. Well, maybe not now, but enough to willingly jump into a pond.

"Did you t-tell her to do that," Sarah interrogated me. Shaking my head, I held up my fork and plate in innocence and surrender.

"She just wanted to take a bath, I guess. I didn't tell her to do it. Besides, she had blood on her face." It was all I could do to speak with a straight face. I struggled against the urge to laugh.

"It's not funny! It's r-really cold!" I nodded and motioned for her to follow.

"Let's go warm up then. How's that. Better?"

"No..." Still, she followed me through the trees. Running to catch up, Akuma's wet fur hung over her body. It slapped against her body as she ran, making her question what it was around her.

Making it back to camp, the light of the fire was getting low. Yami was now sleeping near the tent, curled up and snoring. After handing Sarah the dishes, I grabbed my bag and withdrew a towel. Half of the contents fell out with it, but I threw the towel over Akuma.

Sitting near the fire with Sarah and Perry, I dried off my Dragon. She was obviously cold and shook, but she quickly warmed up next to the pile of burning branches. It was nice, just sitting next to the fire. Though my back was cold, my face and hands were warm.

"Anyways... I'm getting tired. You going to get ready to sleep?" I looked over to Sarah, who was approaching her tent. Again, the thoughts of how I was going to sleep crossed my mind.

"I, uh... Don't have a place to sleep." A slight blush of embarrassment covered my cheeks. I was the guy who who knew what he was doing, and forgot something.

"Well, I do have an extra blanket for when it gets colder... If you want." A blanket? She was offering me a place to sleep.

"Sure. Better then leaves and the ground." Nodding, Sarah yawned and opened her bag. She pulled out a light blue blanket, meant for winter beds. She wasn't kidding.

It was an awkward situation, being both our first times sleeping outside. Still, being as tired as we were, it wasn't _as_ hard. For me, at least. Laying down the thick blanket on the ground., I saw Sarah cringe. She probably didn't like the fact that she'd have to carry it dirty. Or the fact that it was dirty at all.

Sarah ducked inside her tent and took her bag with her. I knew we didn't know each other that well, but I wasn't going to steal anything. But after a minute of thinking, I began to realize our fire was quite obvious. What if some lowly thief came by? As I stood up, Akuma yawned and moved over to my spot on the blanket.

Grabbing my bag, I brought it back to the makeshift sleeping bag and took off my boots. It was difficult to move my dragon, but after I did, I wrapped the blanket around me and Akuma. With my bag safely with me, I felt it easier to sleep on the hard dirt ground.

"Good night," I heard Sarah call out.

"Yeah. See you in the morning." It was nice to hear it, even though it reminded me of home. I felt a twinge for my own bed in Floaroma or the Poke Center in Jubilife. Shaking my head, I rolled over and closed my eyes.

.

The night was restless. Though I was warm and had company too, it was hard to sleep. The hard dirt and, generally the entire excitement from actually coming out this far was enough to keep me awake.

Finally, I couldn't take it. Though it was dark, I could still see. Akuma was stirred when I pulled the blanket off of her. The fire was darker than before. After I set a branch on it, the flames began to lick the wood. When the flames grew brighter, I deemed it time.

Pulling out a Pokeball, I looked at it. The Budew I'd caught earlier was inside and, now it was time. Putting a hand on Akuma, I rubbed the metal button.

"Okay, girl. Time to meet our new partner. Not food, okay?" Akuma looked at me, confused. Nodding, I clicked the button. In a sudden flash, a brief and bright light, a small living plant plant appeared.

With a hand on a Akuma, it was the only thing to keep her from biting into the poisonous bulb. Not knowing what it really was made her suspicious and hostile. Still, she'd smelled a scent she recognized and fought. Of course, she didn't have to feel the effects of the venom for long. I'd taken her to the Center immediately after.

Looking at the Budew, I saw a set of light green scars, if they could be called scars. They matched the ones on my arm and shoulder. It brought a slight smirk to my face, knowing we matched.

"Hey, there. I'm your new leader. This is my partner Akuma." The Budew simply looked at me. It surprised me it made no actions to attack me. In fact, it scared me. Instead, I turned to Akuma. "Now, this is a friend. Not food. Calm down." Almost reluctant, the dragon began to back away and laid down on the blanket.

Looking back at the Budew, I found it still sitting there. It's small bud on it's head, it's namesake, was held closed. I knew that male Budew had red flowers instead of pink, but I would only see once spring came. It was difficult to just assume a plant's gender, anyways.

"How does the name 'Thorn' sound? Those thorns you have gave my Akuma some dangerous poison, so it seems fitting." The newly named Thorn just blinked at me, before shivering in the cold air. It made me realized just how cold it really was as I began to shiver.

Picking up the small Bud, I brought it closer to the fire. Not too close, as plants easily burned, but so did I. I was careful to avoid any of the sharp points, as well as it's flower and face. It also gave me a chance to see it had no mouth. Just how did it eat?

"So... How do I train you?" Looking up at me, I guessed it didn't see any point in running. If it attacked, I'd return it to the Pokeball. In all, it was smart. I think...

Opening my Pokedex' internet, I searched up the Budew species and how it was raised. After a bit of scrolling, I found a reliable wiki for plant Pokemon. Time to read...

.

At some point, I must have gotten tired and returned to my bedding. Apparently, I'd also recalled Thorn to... her Pokeball? The red ball was sitting next to Akuma, who was still asleep. I looked around in the shaded clearing, noticing the sun had already risen. Looking at the fire, I saw Sarah poking at the ashes. Perry was sitting on her head and gnawed on a Cheri Berry.

"Morning," I said, yawning and stretching. Sarah looked over to me.

"It's about time you got up! I've been waiting for you to help me clean up." She gestured to the campsite. Following her hand, I saw that it was messier than I remember it being in the dark. Did we really make this big of a mess?

"What time is it, anyways?" I rubbed my eyes and pulled my shoes on. While I was tying up the laces, Akuma began to stir.

"It's around ten in the morning. And I've been up for almost an hour, so you'd better get up. I've been dying to leave." I nodded and began to pull on the blanket. Akuma began growling at me and snapped at the moving fabric, but she eventually fell off. I began to shake it out dirt as Sarah began to deconstruct her tent.

It only took us ten minutes to deem the entire place cleaned, but most of it was just making sure anything left behind would look natural. Like a few broken branches and a pile of dirt.

Akuma also did not help. Though Yami and Thorn were in their respective pokeballs, they helped by not getting in the way like the excited Deino. On top of that, Sarah would not carry the blue blanket in her bag while I was using it. She decided that it was easier for each of us to carry our own. And, though I could agree with her, have you noticed I'm carrying a small satchel?

Still, the cushioning it created between me and the items I had in my bag was nice. It definitely helped, due to a large bruise I found on my hip. Once the blanket was ready, the pressure lessened and didn't hurt quite as much.

Once we deemed the campsite as clean and we weren't forgetting anything, we said good-bye to the clearing and stepped out of the treeline. I called to Akuma to follow us, as we stepped onto the familiar route's paved path. The blind Deino ran to catch up with us.

"It feels nice to be back on the road," I commented, filling the silence. Sarah nodded and began to stretch. It was exciting to be back on our way to Oreburgh. Pulling out my Pokedex, I began skimming through what I'd written last night.

"What is that," Sarah asked, looking over my shoulder. Looking at it myself, I could see several mistypes and some wrong words, but I still managed to read out the info on Budew.

"'The species of Rose Pokemon begins with Budew, evolving into a Roselia in the spring time to express it's fondness. It allows it's flowers to symbolize it's relationship with it's special individual, Pokemon or Human.' And stuff like that." I showed her what I'd taken note on and let her skim through a few of the lines before continuing to read.

"When did you have time to write all that? Seems pretty detailed, though you are terrible at spelling."

"I wrote it all last night. I spent some time after you went to sleep to meet my Budew and named it Thorn. After that, I figured I'd better do some research. That's basically all I did before I fell asleep myself." I pulled out the small orb and expanded it. The feeling of it expanding was beginning to feel quite comfortable. In fact, I almost enjoyed doing it.

"You're going to let it out here?" Sarah still had Perry in her hair, but I wondered if Thorn could it on my beanie? Would that be enough to negate the poison? Or would I have to eat a bucket of Pecha Berries to balance my blood? I didn't quite feel like testing it, but I did want to let Thorn out.

"Well, she might need some sunlight. It's best to let a plant see the sun during the day. Any farmer knows that." Clicking the button, I let the beam fall onto the nearby grass. Best to let her out off the pavement. I also let my hand fall on to Akuma's fur. The small plant Pokemon appeared and blinked up at me and Sarah.

"You know, I really wanted to catch it. Still, fair is fair." I nodded in agreement and understanding.

"It isn't that bad, because you can always catch other Pokemon. Besides, you already had two Pokemon, so it was fair to give me a chance." Sarah shrugged and turned back to the Budew.

"It- She doesn't really do much, does she?" Thorn looked at her and released a cloud of spores. Sarah jumped back and coughed. "So that's what she does."

"I think she understood you." I had to hold back my laughter. It was everything I had to keep it from manifesting as sound. That's a really complex word...

"Yeah, no dip, huh?" Sarah brushed off the yellow spores from her sweatshirt's sleeves. Akuma sniffed the powder and sneezed. At least it gave me a reason to laugh.

"Let's just keep going, then. C'mon, Akuma." Even though Thorn had already begun to walk along side us, she was no where near as fast as us. It went at more of a waddle than a walk. Still, I returned her to her Pokeball before storing her in my bag.

Now that I'd allowed Sarah to meet Thorn, and now being generally annoyed with her now, she had no interest in the Bud Pokemon. She might have been annoyed, but it allowed me to walk in silence. It was a lucky thing, her being a silent sulker. Still, it did make me wonder what she would do later.

.

We walked further than we did yesterday, by at least a few kilometers. My legs definitly felt it by the time the sun began to set. And it wasn't even dinner time. Still, Sarah decided it was far enough, due to her falling behind. Luckily, there happened to be a nice little clearing right there...

Like last night, we set up camp before heading out to hunt. Using the trick with the faux bush, even though there was no trouble before, I didn't want to take the chances. Sarah apparently felt the same as she followed my lead and helped. Once we had a general place to come back to, we set off into the trees.

"So, does it feel a bit colder to you?" Sarah had Perry in her sweatshirt, though her Sneasel seemed to enjoy the chill in the air. Akuma seemed to be fine with her fur, but my sweatshirt did little to help me. I shivered and yawned to adjust my internal body temperature.

"It feels like my balls are freezing off," I answered, trying to keep my teeth from chattering. I did have another sweatshirt in my bag, but it was back at camp.

"I don't feel too bad, but my Dedene is freezing. We should just get what we can and get back to camp." I nodded and turned to Akuma, who simply padded along side us.

"Akuma, today we're not going to get much. Just enough to eat before bed. Okay?" The Deino looked at me before opening her mouth. "No, not yet. Sorry."

Continuing on, I saw a Sentret stand up on it's tail to see us. Reacting quickly, Akuma launched a blast of blue energy directly into the Sentret. It was launched back several meters, motionless. Then, turning to me, the Deino began to excitedly do some sort of running in place. It made me laugh, despite the cold and nature of the situation.

"Good job, girl." I walked over to the corpse and found it to be slightly charred on the front, but it was mostly intact. The Sentret was a fair size, but I doubted it was good enough to satisfy Akuma and Yami both. Looking around, there wasn't much else. The other Sentret had already run.

"So, do you want to just head back or should we keep looking?" Yami was looking around for prey and leaping from bush to bush. Sarah looked uncertain about what she asked. I looked to Akuma, who looked eager to eat her meal.

"I think we should keep looking," I decided. "Just for a little bit. We need to feed Yami and Akuma." Nodding in agreement, Sarah allowed me to take the lead. Standing up, I swung the dead Sentret over my shoulder. Disappointed, Akuma followed me.

We tried being as sneaky as possible. The leaves that crunched under our feet didn't make it easy, but the same could be said about the Pokemon. Those that either tried to sneak up on us, or the one we were stalking would not be able to hide. And it helped us find a nest of Murkrow.

We kept to the shadows, just to be sure. If we spooked more than one or two, we'd be out of a meal. Leaning down, I whispered an order to Akuma. Giddy with excitement, she began to charge up the attack. It might have been harder for her to aim at one, but the collective noise was hard to miss.

Seeing the plan, Sarah followed up with Yami and Perry, telling them to attack. With an almost deafening boom, several Murkrow fell while the rest rose into the air. Shortly before a leaping dark hunter flew out and sliced many out of the air. The ones that were further away were quickly zapped with bolts of lightning.

Looking at the ground, blood splattered down around the base of the tree the Murkrow roosted and Sarah gagged at the sight. Yami and Akuma were almost gorged out of their guts with the amount of bird they ate. It was almost an easy sight to bare, though I realized we'd never be able to eat the dozens of birds laying on the ground.

"Did we go overboard with this?" The dark Krows that were left couldn't be eaten. Akuma was practically unmovable with the bird in her belly, though Yami was more mature and could hold back. And we still had to return to the campsite.

With the dead Sentret still over my shoulder, I considered returning my dragon so we could turn back. Sarah left Yami out so he could dance amongst the trees and clean his claws. I wish I could allow Akuma to clean herself, but she held no concern of how she looked. Still, walking after eating would probably help her feel better.

Almost stumbling, she walked beside me. She got faster as we walked, but she definitely didn't want to. The only reason she followed was because she was lost without a guide.

As we walked back to the campsite, the darkness grew darker with the sun dropping further below the horizon. It had to be getting close to seven or so. Akuma and Yami didn't interact much, but the blind Deino kept track of the Dancing Hunter's movements. I could tell by how she moved her head to the sound of crunching leaves.

Sarah and myself didn't talk much either. It was still something I had to deal with, being the one who was able to deal with the blood. The memories of myself puking over it had faded, being times I didn't enjoy. Now, I could easily kill a dozen Pokemon and only feel the slight impulse. It's not that it wasn't bad. It's just that I saw nothing wrong.

Because Sarah hadn't adjusted to it, she had to keep herself under control. She held her hand to her mouth and held Perry close. I looked to Akuma, but she was far too heavy to carry. Not to mention probably sick from the multiple Murkrow she ate. It brought a smirk to my face, but I kept silent as well. The mood just wasn't right.

With the sight of the camp approaching, Sarah and I began to speed up the pace. Though Akuma was faster than at the Tree, she still didn't like it. She was slower than us, so she began to fall behind. Whining, she tried to keep up and forced me to slow down. Just so she didn't get lost.

"Wait up, Sarah. Akuma still needs to keep up. Please?" Slowing down, both of us waited up for Akuma, but we didn't give her a bit of ease. Sarah didn't let her. "C'mon! Just slow down a bit more?"

"I'm hungry! And I want food!" I pulled back and fell behind on purpose. Somewhat out of fear, but also out of spite. I _was_ the one with the food, after all. It gave me an evil feeling. And I liked it.

Looking back, Sarah slowed down as I did. Adverting her gaze, I held up the Sentret over my shoulder. A pause past before realization dawned over her face. Before an angry face replaced it.

Smirking, I let Akuma catch up and walked along side her. She was happy once she was sure where she was going. With my footsteps clearly being heard with the dry leaves underneath, Akuma had no problem following me. Keeping slow, it helped fulfill two things; Let Akuma keep up and to keep Sarah waiting.

Still, my own stomach was grumbling. It forced me to speed up as well, but slow enough that Akuma could stay with me.

Setting up the fire was easy. I decided to use my flashlight to help me at first, but once the fire was lit, the glow let me see exactly what I wanted. Once a roaring fire was going, Sarah approached me.

"You know, it's rude to trick people." I glanced up from the flames and saw her with crossed arms. Stepping closer, she sat next to me. Unfolding her arms, I was suddenly punched in the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" I nearly dropped the Sentret I was trying to prepare. I hadn't yet skinned it or anything, but I didn't want to drop it.

"It's because that was mean! I was- I am hungry." Pulling out my knife, I touched it to the fur of the Sentret before answering her.

"I'm hungry, too. And it's just because you tried to rush I felt like doing the opposite. I didn't mean to be rude." Moving carefully, the work wasn't quick, but it was only to preserve the skin and meat.

"Could you speed that up? There's more than enough for both of us, so there's no need to be slow." Looking over to her, I realized she was more impatient than I thought. Continuing my work, I made sure to keep an eye on my blade.

"It's not about that. As you remember, neither of us have much money. With this skin, we might have some money once we get there. Just... You know?" It was all I could do. The idea came to me over the thought of running out of Pokeballs. After a look in my wallet, it was pretty clear. I was almost broke, and Sarah was the same. Selling Pokemon parts was all I knew. Why wouldn't it work now?

"You mean, you're gonna carry around a bloody Sentret skin? Where do you plan to keep it, exactly? Because you are _not_ keeping it in my blanket!"

"I'm sleeping on it, aren't I? Besides, I'm going to clean it up. As soon as I can. Once it is, it shouldn't make a mess. It'll be a clean skin by then, so I'll be able to keep it with everything else in my bag." I was making a few mistakes I could see, but it wasn't too bad. The muscles and fat was easily cut around the stomach area, but was hardest around the tail. Even if it was round and strong, it was what made it so difficult.

"So, you're more worried about money? You need to get your priorities straight."

"Or rather, you do. Long term. If we don't have money to buy food or supplies in Oreburgh or the resting stop near the Oreburgh Gate, we'll be in trouble."

"Alright? We have enough money to get through that. And we can hunt like this if we have to." Sarah was a bit disgusted at the bare muscles showing, but she knew she would eat it once it was cooked. What was the difference now?

"Says the one who couldn't handle the sight of blood half an hour ago. Just leave the strategy stuff to me."

"Yeah, right. You aren't the leader here. I can make any decisions I want!" What? I mean, she could make decisions, but was she being stupid? We needed money, and she thought it wasn't worth it? Jeez, what was she thinking?

"That's not what I'm saying. Fine, I need money, so I'm doing the one thing I know- The one way I know how to make money. Selling Pokemon is the one way I made money, and the reason I'm here now. Okay?" It was the easiest way to earn it, at least. Getting a job was too time-consuming and to steal... That was below me. A future Champion would never be seen behind a counter, or being some bandit.

"We can earn money other ways. You could easily enter small competitions and earn a few hundred Poke dollars. What's the big deal? All I'm saying is you can speed it up." As she spoke, my knife slipped under the last of the skin of the Sentret and it slipped off like a coat or clothing.

"Doesn't really matter now. I'm finished, anyways. Time to cook." It only took a little work before I was able to impale the Sentret on a spit I'd quickly made. With the fire hot and ready, I began to turn the body over the heat. The smell of cooking fat and meat filled the air. Sarah just looked into the fire as I tried to turn the meat.

Coming up to me, Akuma smelled at the flesh as it was fried. Looking away, I pat the Deino on the head.

"Watch the fire, Dimbo!" Pulling up the spit, Sarah saved the Sentret from falling into the coals. Looking away from my Pokemon, I pulled up on the stick as well. Luckily, the side was only slightly burnt.

"I got it. Just... got distracted?" Geez. A champion getting distracted? I guess not too unheard of. Right? With both hands back on the pole, my focus was pulled back to the fire. Sniffing by my feet, Akuma smelled the blood on the ground.

The consequence wasn't good, as well as she was already stuffed as it was. With no real self-control, she didn't care. She would eat if she could. What a glutton. So, I had to be her self-control. Using my boot, I pushed her away from the skin. Though she whined about it, I knew she accepted it. I was her guide, in her mind.

After several minutes over a blistering and blazing fire, the Sentret was finished. It was only barely burned, so it was all good. With a steaming spit of meat, Sarah looked up from the licking flames.

"Ooh, time to eat!" Digging out her dishes, Sarah laid out the area to eat. I stabbed the spit into the dirt and allowed it to cool. And the smell was delicious. Sitting down in the grass, I grabbed my knife and sliced off a bit on the Sentret. Just an arm, really. And it easily slid onto the plate.

"Your choice, Sarah. Arm or leg? Or do you want the tail?" I held the knife by the back and gave the handle to Sarah. Taking it, she began to cut off a small bit from the Sentret's back. With her plate underneath, it easily separated and fell onto the platter.

Using my fork, I stabbed a bit of the arm and tore a bit off. I bit into it and tasted it.

At first, I didn't understand what I was eating. Was it salty? Was it greasy? There was no taste at all, actually. Sentret, I realized, was one of the worst Pokemon we could have hunted.

"This sucks." Sarah followed my lead and ate her part of her meal. I nodded and agreed. Maybe if we had some salt or pepper? Or even some curry powder! It wouldn't taste as bland as this meat. Curse it's trickery and it's tasty smell!

Still, food was food. It was moister than I thought, but it had no taste anyways. Easy to swallow, but hard to chew.

Only after I was half through, the taste, or the lack of taste, was enough to make me lose my appetite. I had food in my gut, so it was enough for me. Tossing my remains into the flames. Akuma followed the scent, but I knew she had nothing to gain by eating more.

Though Sarah had a smaller portion than me, she did the same. The heat easily consumed the meat as I picked up the skin. With the blade of my knife, I began trying to clean the skin. Blood dripped from it, from the parts of muscle and skin I'd messed up with. Still, it was the best I could do with my limited knowledge and skills.

Sarah went off to clean up. I knew we didn't have much water, but I hoped for a small lake or a stream on the way. But if we didn't find a way to transport water on the road, I could see a problem. Of course, Sarah wouldn't be able to see that if she would only cross the bridge once she got there.

Satisfied with the skin, I rolled it up and stored it in my bag in time for Sarah to return. Her hair was wet, but she had an empty water bottle. It was obvious what kind of shower she had.

"Hey. Want to try a bit of training?" It was something that every Pokemon Trainer did. Why shouldn't we? Besides, I needed to tame and train Thorn more than I had.

"Why not? Yami might need some exercise. I think it'll be fun, anyways." Pulling out her Dusk ball, I realized she'd returned him. It would explain why I hadn't seen him dancing around the camp. He instantly materialized in flash of light.

Pulling out my own Pokeball, I let Thorn out into the grass. Though it was dark, the small Budew soaked in the light of the fire. It was good to know that the light source didn't matter to her.

"Ready, Akuma?" The Deino had crept up beside me and I laid a hand on her to stop her advance. "We're gonna train. Not eat a Budew, but train. Okay?" She looked at me, listening to my voice. I don't know how much she understood, but she didn't try to eat Thorn. Which was a good thing.

"So, what's the plan," Sarah asked. Plan?

"Well, just some basic training is fine. I should probably have my Akuma work on attacking and I can probably try to teach Thorn? I don't know." It wasn't my first time training, but it felt like it. No one ever watched me. But, why was I so nervous about it?

"Then, I guess I'll just work on whatever with Yami. C'mon, Yami." Walking away, Sarah lead Yami into the trees. Nodding, it made my job easier. Without the pressure to deal with, I could train in peace.

"Alright, Akuma. Let's work on your strength, alright?" Instructing her, I told her to use her bite on a log. She didn't understand it at all. Still, following the commands, she bit down into the wood. Going back to Thorn, I trusted Akuma to keep working.

"Thorn? You ready to train?" She was sitting there in the grass as I'd left her, near the flame. She didn't seem motivated to move, but I hoped she would soon. But she just looked at me.

"Now, listen to me. I need to you release your Stun Spore. Just, attack with your Stun Spore." Blinking, Thorn just looked at me. She obviously didn't understand. "Fine, what attacks do you know?" Like a sneeze, a cloud of yellow powder burst out of Thorn.

Coughing, I backed away as the small spores caused my muscles to tense up. No need to tell me I'd already gotten a taste. Soon enough, I couldn't move at all.

Luckily, it only hurt a little. The spores were only made to stop or slow an opponent. At least it wasn't a poisonous spore...

With a snap of wood breaking, Akuma looked towards me in success, before noticing I couldn't move. I saw her out of the corner of my eye and tried to move. The pain as I tried to resist wasn't bad, but the sheer difficulty it was to fight against my own muscles was hard.

Once I was able to get onto my hands and knees, my breathing forced. I was in Akuma's way, but she growled at Thorn.

Walking into the clearing, Sarah came back. It was obvious because I'd been coughing and stuff...

"What's wrong? You weren't attacked, were you? Because if you were, you need to get better at reading Pokemon." It was a smug piece of advice, but it was helpful. If I could move. The best I could do was keep my arms extended. They tried to bend towards my chest, but I stopped them as best I could.

Opening my mouth, both for Akuma and Sarah, I tried to talk. But even I didn't understand what I said.

Laughing aloud, Sarah couldn't help but make fun of me. She poked my face and tempted me to bite her, but I would react too slow. Like she knew I would.

"Do you want to know how to get rid of the spores? It's obvious it's Stun Spore." Struggling to nod, I threw myself onto my back. My muscles easily contracted to my chest without my resistance. I nodded for Sarah to continue.

"To get rid of Stun Spore, you have to either have a Spore Heal, Paralyz Heal, wait it out, or eat a Cheri Berry. Which one you want?" Spore Heal? Paralyz Heal? We didn't have one. Waiting? That would take too long. A Cheri Berry would be quickest. But... How do I tell her?

Holding up four shaking fingers, I chose the Cheri Berries. I just hoped she had some.

"Here you go, then." Tossing a red berry to me, I recognized it. It was a Cheri berry, but it was small and I knew how it would taste. Even with my tensed muscles, I managed to open my mouth and drop it in. It was hard to chew, but it was the juice of the small berry that relaxed the muscles.

It was sour and super spicy. It was like eating a bowl of spicy curry. Or Bouffalant Wings. All I knew is that it was hot. And it wasn't even the spiciest of berries. My father had already told me that.

Still, even though my throat and tongue were on fire, I felt the tension behind my muscles beginning to drop. I regretted the fact that we had little water left, but I was almost burning. I had to drink.

"Water," I asked. It was the only thing I'd been able to say since Thorn spored me.

Handing over her water bottle, Sarah watched as I drained what was left of it. The rest was in her hair, of course. Still, any sort of coolant was better than the air. Every breath felt like a fresh burn, so it was a relief to have water running over it.

My arms and legs were tired. Shaking, I struggled to stand. Having to fight yourself was an exercise in itself. Still, Akuma tried to help me. She growled in the general direction of Thorn, but since the small bud didn't make much noise, it was hard for her to pin point.

Taking out the Pokeball, I returned Thorn for good measure. I didn't want Akuma to tear her apart at first chance. Sarah followed along with Yami, Perry sitting on her hair, to the log I had Akuma bit in half.

"Is this the thing that made that loud crack noise? Because that's why I back in the first place. And that was pretty quick, for you to break a tree in half." Akuma sniffed at the fallen tree she'd broken. "Isn't this the log we used as a bench?"

"Um... Yes? Did- did you still want that?" It wasn't too important, other than we'd have to drag another log out of the trees to replace it.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just get back to training. It was your idea, remember?" I nodded and sat down on the ground. My hand brought Akuma closer as she rubbed against it. She'd taken a liking to me touching her. I guessed it helped her know where and who I was. Anyone else smelled, felt, and acted differently. Not to mention sounded different.

Picking up a few sticks, I watched Sarah make a small set of pylons. The second set was about fifty meters away. It was one side of the clearing to the other. Then, I saw Yami begin to dance forward. His lithe and hunter build was lose until he reached the first set of sticks.

What was he going to do?

In a quick burst of speed, the Sneasel ran to the other side, before spinning around to run down the other side. Following the icy assassin, Akuma "watched" as he ran back and forth.

"Want to join him? Yeah, I don't blame you. He's moving so fast. You think you could keep up?" Doing some sort of running before, I assumed it was a sign of excitement. Patting her faux horn, I smiled. "Go on then. Run with him." Understanding I'd given permission, she leaped up to the first set of pylons.

Yami slowed and watched the blind Deino running from one set to the next. I saw the Sneasel almost laughing as he sped up. He quickly passed Akuma as he was like a bullet compared to her. By the time she'd run to the second set of sticks, Yami had already completed a lap.

Trying to catch up, she ran faster. She wasn't so sure of her footing or exactly where anything was, but she knew where Yami was. His dark typing and movement was enough for her to automatically turn her head towards him. She was fast for me, yes, but she was slow once put beside another Pokemon.

Still, I admired that she tried. And she was going fairly fast and hard. She wanted to try, even if it's something genetically impossible. Even as a Hydreigon, she would probably never beat Yami in a flat out race. Of course, she'd be able to fly once she was a Hydreigon, but that would most likely be at least two- No, probably three years. At least.

Sarah watched the hopeless race with a smirk and looked at me as if to ask, 'Did you tell her to do this?' I shook my head, unable to keep from smiling. She was cute, even for the brutal species she belong to. I just hoped it lasted.

.

It was maybe half an hour later that I was able to move properly. The spores hadn't been removed, but only counteracted. The Cheri Berry had made it easier to move, but, truth be told, it wasn't like I really wanted to.

But once I was able to freely move again, and my throat wasn't on fire, I stood up and pulled out the large blanket I used for a sleeping bag. I looked to the small track Sarah built and saw Akuma trying to keep going, but I could see her breathing heavily. Her steps barely covered a few centimeter.

Calling her over, I spread out the blanket and let her lay down on it. I sat down next to her and yawned.

"Hey, girl. You feeling it, too?" She looked at me with sightless eyes before laying her head in my lap. I smiled and rubbed her head. Her horn was slightly bent and drooping, which made it funnier.

"Do you mind helping me," Sarah called to me. Looking up, she was trying to put up her tent again. This time, one of the pegs had fallen and she was barely holding it up. It was in plain light of the fire, so it had plenty of lighting. Why had it fallen if not secured properly?

Standing, I had to be careful with Akuma. She whined when I moved her, but she didn't feel like moving much. It made it a lot easier.

Checking out the support, nothing was wrong with it. I stabbed it back into the dirt, but it was quickly removed again by a... Diglett? The small brown head of it popped out of the dirt long enough to rip out the peg, dropping below as fast as possible.

Sighing, I stabbed the Peg back in to the dirt. When the Diglett resurface, most likely to take the wooden tip stuck in it's living room, I grab it. Forcfully ripping it from the dirt, it shrieked and struggled, but I was able to boot it into the trees. What was lucky is that it was about the size of a football. About the same shape, too.

I'd only kicked a football once or twice, but I felt this kick was pretty good.

"What was that?" Sarah asked, pulling the tent into a standing position. Looking to her, I shrugged.

"It was just a pest of a Pokemon. Nothing much. It was pulling up the stake, so I got rid of it." Slowly nodding, Sarah confirmed she understood. Opening the front flap on the tent, she tossed her large bag into the tent.

"Are you going to change into nightwear, or do you just wear whatever to bed?" I looked down at my clothes. "Because I can go into my tent to give you some privacy if you're gonna change."

"What makes you say that," I asked.

"You looked a bit nervous. I just assumed you were afraid to ask me to leave."

"Oh. Well, I do have a second set of clothes, yes." I was still wearing the Pokemon center's sweats and my sweatshirt. The sweats were getting dirty, but they were comfortable on the inside. Still, best to change now and clean them later. And if Sarah's predictions were true, we could be there by tomorrow night. To the Gate's outpost.

Nodding, Sarah zipped up her tent and I walked over to my bag. Akuma's snores could be hear as she laid on the ground. Grabbing the clothes out of my satchel, I began to change my clothes. Jeans weren't as comfortable as Sweats, but at least they were clean.

With a fresh set of clothes, I rolled myself up in the blanket next to Akuma. Pulling out my PokeDex, I began to look up several guides on getting through the Oreburgh Gate. Most of them pointed to several Pokemon Guide services, even a few personal guides. But there were a few that gave good information.

"Good night!" Sarah called out from her tent and I look up from the screen.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow." Thinking over it, I tossed a log into flames. It crackled before licking the wood. It would last until morning. Right? Opening my PokeDex again, I began to type my thoughts and what I'd learned. Yawning, I scratched Akuma's black fur before laying back down.

.

The morning came quicker than I thought it would. Akuma nudged me. Rolling over was a good idea... Nudging me again, I groaned before complying. I yawned and stretched out my sore muscles. Looking around, I saw the light coming over the field to the right and through the trees to the left.

"Morning." I looked to see Sarah eating a Nanab Berry. Seeing me awake, she tossed me one of them. Being me, I missed the catch and let it hit my face. Laughing, Sarah watched me as I peeled the skin away from the Nanab and bit into the pink flesh. It was quite sweet, but also slightly bitter.

It wasn't much for breakfast, but it was better than nothing. I rubbed Akuma's head and smiled. She couldn't see my smile, but she felt my hand. Not all the feeling was lost.

After throwing away the empty peel, I began to clean up my bedding. Sarah had already begun taking down the tent and shrinking it down to a roll she carried in her pack. It made me wonder what exactly she had brought, considering it's size. Shaking my head, I shouldered my bag and put the blanket over the top.

With everything packed up, nothing really interesting happened. Once Sarah had her bag ready, we headed out to the route. Akuma followed me with a Nanab peel hanging out of her mouth.

For over 5 hours, we walked down the road. It was obvious that the road wasn't as maintained as the path near Jubilife, but it was still paved. Which was good.

It was around two or three in the afternoon when we stopped. It wasn't for the night, but it was for lunch. Sarah claimed she was hungry, and though I argued, I was too. So, in mutual agreement, we turned into the trees to hunt.

Being our scout, Perry ran over branches and threw some of the leaves down as he did, but he was still generally stealthy. His size helped.

"So, what are you in the mood for," I asked, breaking the ice.

"I'd prefer something not meat, like some berries or a salad. Some pasta sounds good, too." Moving slowly through the trees, we followed Perry as he scampered over the branches. I nodded and agreed. Some pasta might be nice, yes, but maybe a bit of Miltank in it?

Hearing a slight squeak, it was the signal that a Pokemon was ahead. I motioned for Sarah to hide behind the trees. In the clearing ahead, I saw four Bidoof. I groaned slightly, but I decided I could make do.

"What is it," Sarah whispered. We were only a meter apart, but the Bidoof were making some noise as they scavenged for food. No need to be too quite.

"Just... bad memories of Bidoof." The day two months ago, that day I saved that man from ravaging Bidoof. I still hated them, but now I had the chance to kill them. No time like the present.

I had kept Akuma in her Pokeball to prioritize speed and stealth over the company. It would be a surprise to both the Bidoof, as well as the Deino, but now is the reason I assumed it was important.

Clicking the button, I released Akuma in a flash of light. She appeared in full view of the four Bidoof and stood there. The stupid brown Pokemon just looked at the blue and black Deino, wondering what- or where she came from.

"Bite one of them!" It was the first thing that came to my mind. And the first thing that I shouted. Sarah backed away from me, since we were in close proximity, but she knew what was happening. Luckily, Akuma caught on quick too.

Sinking her teeth into the foremost Bidoof, she held it in place while the other three escaped into the woods. Akuma worried about them, but stuck to my orders. She could only bite one at a time, after all.

The captured Bidoof struggled to escape the clutches of Akuma's teeth, but the blood dripping into it's fur was enough to tell me that it would not be escaping easily. Still, it was stupid enough to probably kill itself before it succeeded. Which might help, actually.

"That went faster then expected," Sarah said. I agreed and stepped forward, into the clearing. As soon as it saw me, the Bidoof began to panic and struggled harder. The blood spread quicker and it's screeches began to chill me. Taking out my knife, Akuma began to adjust her hold.

I swiped my knife quickly across it's neck, and I saw Sarah turn away as blood coated my hand. The struggling intensified before it slumped over. Sighing, I wiped my knife against the grass and leaves to clean it.

By the time it was clean enough for me, the Bidoof stopped moving. Akuma released the Bidoof and poked at it with her nose.

"Don't eat it yet, Akuma. Sarah and I can't eat it once you tear in. 'Kay?" Backing off, Akuma licked the blood from her mouth instead. "Wait... Sarah, do you hear that? I think I hear a river." Listening, though still disgusted at the blood, Sarah focused to the forest noises.

"You're right! There is a river close by!" With most of the blood drained to the dirt, I felt safe enough to pick up the freshly dead corpse. It was gross, but I nothing twitched inside anymore. Maybe I really was wrong?

After a few dozen meters, the sight of running water made Sarah run forward. She held her nose to block out the smell of blood, but she didn't care as long as she got to the river.

Setting down the dead Bidoof on a rock, I tossed a few logs into a pile. With a few twigs and drier grasses, I lit up the fire.

"Aren't you going to wash off that blood? It's kinda gross, just having it all over your hands." I looked at them and saw it had dried and cracked off in some places.

Dipping my hands into the freezing water, the current pulled the crimson life away. With clean hands, I pulled out my knife again. While the flames grew, I began cutting up the parts of the Bidoof. I didn't think we'd need much, but I had to get the fur and innards outta the way.

The skin and fur wasn't valuable, so I didn't really try to save it. Nor were the innards, but I don't think any Pokemon Guild bought Pokemon innards. That would be... a bit creepy.

Once the Bidoof was prepped, I cooked it the usual way and wished for something that would make this easier. Still, better something than nothing. While Sarah allowed Yami to splash around, while he wasn't affected by the cold, I let Akuma and Thorn to walk around.

As I silently cooked the meat, I realized I was falling into my bad habit. My nature, I guess. I looked up at Sarah and saw her filling her bottle. Did I really know her? I only really knew she was from Snowpoint. That was about it.

Of course, the same could be said about me. She probably only knew I was from Floaroma Town. Of course, there wasn't much to me. The most exciting thing that really ever happened was catching Akuma. What else could compare?

At least there were no penalties for trying, right?

"Uh, Sarah? What's it's, erm, what's it like in Snowpoint? You never talked about home, so I'm, uh, curious." Smooth going there. Totally didn't look obvious.

"Okay, I guess I could tell you," Sarah said, laughing. "What's really to tell? It's cold? In the north? Well, we do have that temple for Regigigas, but it hasn't returned to it since Lucas freed it... How long ago was it? 200 or so? Like, 10 years after Red, right? I've been in there, but it's pretty cold in there. The floors are always frozen and slippery, so some people ice skate in there."

"What's ice skating like? I've never really had the opportunity." I carefully kept and eye as Sarah sat on the ground next to me. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye before she responded.

"It's like normal skating, I'd say, but I've never done that either. I'll have to show you when we challenge the gym up there."

"First we have to beat the Oreburgh Gym. But, sure. I think it'd be fun." With the meat turning a lighter, whiter color, I tried to turn it evenly to prevent burns.

"How difficult do you think it'll be? I mean, I have Yami, but Perry doesn't even affect Rock types. And you have Akuma and Thorn. Do you think it'll be hard?"

"Of course it'll be difficult. That's the purpose of a gym. It's suppose to challenge us, but also make sure we've been training our partners properly. But I think we'll pass the test."

"Really? Hmm... What about Floaroma. You haven't really told me much about it." Tensing up, I realized I didn't know what to say.

"Well, er, it's just like any other small town. Just a bunch of people. A few other things. I mean, the famous bits are really just the Flowers and the Forest. But the Forest is named after Eterna, so it really isn't ours."

"I've heard that the Eterna Forest used to be much smaller. You could walk 50 miles before a tree. Now, it stretches all the way to the borders of the town, right?" Quickly, looked into the Bidoof to check if it had cooked all the way through yet.

"You're right, but most people are too afraid to encroach on the Pokemon's Territory. So, they just let the trees grow as far as they like. As such, only a few of the fields are tree free. When we pass through, I'll show you."

Lifting the spit off the fire, I nodded to Sarah, who took out her plates and utensils. Supporting the weight with both hands was hard, but even harder when I pulled out my knife and held it in one hand. To help hold it, I held it under my shoulder. Cutting through the front leg of the cooked corpse. It fell onto Sarah's waiting plate.

"Man, it's heavy." Taking the plate from Sarah, I cut a large portion from the leg and slid it onto the second plate. "Thanks." Taking the fork she offered, Sarah and I began to eat.

.

After taking a break, we headed back to the route. The same paved road stretched out for the miles we walked and covered. It was turning to darkness when we stopped. It wasn't very wooded, but Mt. Coronet was barely visible over the trees. Though we didn't make it as far as I'd planned, Sarah said we'd get to the Gate by tomorrow afternoon. I just hoped nothing happened.

After a quick hunt for a Taillow or two. Akuma enjoyed eating her share of the bird, but we were only able to kill two. It was enough for the two of us and Akuma, but Yami felt left out. With the promise of some Taillow after we ate, he was able to keep calm.

I was more tired tonight than yesterday, yes, but I still wanted to train with my Pokemon. My Budew didn't follow my commands yet, so it would be better to try. Releasing Thorn and calling over Akuma, I started to plan the training session.

"What're you doing?" Sarah walked over with Perry on her head. "Are you going to try to tame Thorn? I think I could help."

"Thanks Sarah. To be honest, I have no clue about Grass types." Never have, and most likely won't for a while. I didn't know how much Sarah knew, but it had to be better if she offered.

"Try to figure out what kind of attacks Thorn can use. It's a good way to know your Pokemon, you know?" Nodding, I looked back to the small bud Pokemon. I pulled out my PokeDex and used it for it's primary function. The scanner built in recorded things like the weight and height, along with a few things I didn't care to read.

Then, without the scan being much use, I turned to the internet. What moves should a Budew know? Luckily, a few sites came up, including one I'd already been to. Clicking on it, I was brought to the familiar green-colored background. It was the plant-type wiki I'd found the first night.

"Okay. It says a Budew should learn Absorb, Water Spout, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, and Worry Seed. Is that it? Did they only add a few of Budews' moves?" Sarah looked over my shoulder before taking the Dex out of my hands.

"I didn't expect the list to be this short... Wait. There's more? It says, by selective breeding, Budew can learn moves from the parents. That's strange. Why haven't I heard that before?" I looked at the entry and confirmed the listings. I wondered if the same lists could be found for Akuma, but she was a Dragon. Not many secrets were revealed on how to train, or beat one.

"So... She could know more than that short list?"

"Possibly. You'd have to figure that out, I guess." Sarah handed back my Dex and walked over to Akuma. "I guess you could work on her accuracy or senses. Akuma does have a bit of a disadvantage, I guess." I realized Sarah didn't know much at all. She was being a support for me. I smiled.

"Thanks. But first I need to make sure I don't get spored again." Smirking, Sarah tossed me a small cluster of berries. I barely caught it, but still got it. I looked at the berries in the bunch and saw several ripe Cheri Berries. "T-thanks, Sarah."

"You know, you're kind of easy to read. I l knew you'd want some. Luckily, Perry brought me some." I looked at Perry as he rubbed his electric pouches on his cheeks.

"Well, thanks. Now, where do I begin... Alright, Thorn. Could you show me what you got? Can you attack this tree over here for me?" Blinking blankly up at me, Thorn just sat there. Like usual. I knew it wouldn't be that easy. Calling over Akuma, who was accepting treats from Sarah, she bounded over.

"Akuma, if you understand, I need you to tell Thorn what I say. She doesn't understand me." Facing me, I guessed Akuma understood, but she didn't turn towards Thorn. Shrugging, I continued. "Tell Thorn to attack this tree. For practice." Turning around, following her nose, Akuma began making noises I didn't understand. All I knew is that it ended with a growl.

Standing up, Thorn didn't look much taller. Her thin legs stuck into the grass as two leaves grew out of her body. They looked as if she was growing arms. With the tree next to me, I backed away in time for the two leaves to be thrown across the field. They struck the wood with an audible thunk.

Looking back at the tree, two solid leaves were sticking into the trunk, with a few dry leaves floating down. Was that dangerous or what?

"Was that Razor Leaf? This is one of those moves she can learn through breeding, I think. Interesting..." So it was true. Pokemon _could_ learn moves not native to their line. This made things interesting. "Of course, Pokemon can be taught TMs, so it could have been taught to the Parent by a trainer and it carried over." Well... That's just an idea shot down.

"You don't have to say that. I thought my Thorn was special..." Akuma came over to me and allowed me to pet her. I smiled down at her, all while she knew she'd done her job correctly.

"Don't worry," Sarah said, drawing my attention back. "She is, just by knowing Razor Leaf. Many probably don't. So, don't doubt her yet." So she was special. "You're lucky, you know. If it was just me, I'd have caught her. Then you'd have to battle me with three Pokemon."

"Who said we were battling?"

"Just saying. If we'd met, I'd challenge you to a battle. And I'd have a Budew, along with Yami and Perry." Interesting. Still, it made me question again why we hadn't met any challengers on their ways back from the Oreburgh Gym. Were we too late to face them?

"Yeah... I'd probably have caught something like a Venipede if I was by myself. Just being honest." Laughing, we both enjoyed a moment of carelessness. "I should probably get back to training," I said, now that the moment had passed. Nodding, we both went back to our Pokemon.

I spent the next hour by the fire trying to teach Thorn to use Razor Leaf on my command, but every time I tried, she'd just stare at me. I tried doing verbal explanations and physical demonstrations, but Akuma was the only way we got anywhere. I assumed she threatened Thorn into using Razor Leaf, because every time she ended the command with a growl. Or it could just be her Pokemon Deino Dialect.

The progress was slow, but it was something. Thorn actually followed my commands, though with a little help. I'd have to practice more on it later, but I was getting tired. It had been a long day for me, struggling to get as far as possible in the daylight had left me drained.

Returning Thorn and Akuma to their Pokeballs, I sat down on my blanket and yawned. Sarah returning her own Pokemon and opened her PokeDex. After a minute or two of looking at her, I noticed I was staring. Sarah realized it too, and looked at me. I looked away and yawned again.

"Are you going to bed already? Kinda early. Like, half past seven early." She didn't notice, did she?

"Yeah. I'm kinda tired after today. What about you?"

"I'm kinda... Awake? Is that the right word? You know what I mean. But I wanted to research some stuff. Like what kind of Pokemon are on this Route."

"Trying to catch your third Pokemon, huh? Could you share your findings with me in the morning? I'd help to know what kind of Pokemon we can hunt, as well as catch."

"Alright. I guess. But you've got to research something for me by the morning too. That's your homework." I burst out laughing when she said Homework.

"I- I'm sorry! It's just that it's been a year since I had homework. And I thought I was done with that stuff."

"Oh... I thought you were laughing because we don't really have a home right now."

"Well, yeah. That's true," I said once my laughter died down. I agreed to her deal of research for research. It was a reasonable trade to me, so why not?"

"Anyways, I'll see you in the morning. And hopefully we can both get a warm shower tomorrow night." I nodded. With the mountain in sight, I assumed we'd get there by tomorrow, but it all depended on the road. Of course, I could just be wrong. Still, I had hopes.

Sarah zipped up her tent and I glanced over. The light of her PokeDex glowed, but it didn't show through well enough to see anything. Shaking my head, I laid back on the blanket. The fire was warm and gave me something to take my mind off my thoughts.

It would be the first night since we set out on this route I'd be without Akuma sleeping near me. Still, she'd be cold if she stayed out. Not that she'd show it. Rather, she'd probably just crawl under the blanket. To save both of us a bit of discomfort, I stored her in her Pokeball.

Opening my PokeDex, I started on my "Homework". I began to research some moves other Pokemon could learn, including Dedene and Sneasel. Like I assumed earlier, not much I didn't already know about Deino was displayed. They were Dangerous. They were strong. Blind. Gluttonous. Moody. Dangerous. Nothing went into details past general appearance. As expected.

It was around half past eight before I saw the PokeDex in the tent fade out. I had a small list of interesting notes myself, and was feeling really tired. And all I really did was walk. Right? Hunting wasn't very hard...

Yawning, I made sure I was bundled up before the night grew colder. My bag was near me, in case a thief were to approach. Closing my Dex, and my eyes, I fell asleep. My last remembered thoughts was that I missed my pillow.

.

The morning came fast. It also came with a chill in the air. I noted it was much earlier, and colder, than when I woke up yesterday. Sarah hadn't come out of her tent yet. And the clearing was misty and grey. It had to be before eight. Still, with the fire nonexistant and the pit we'd dug cold and dark, it was hard to fall back to sleep. Besides, I wasn't that tired. Sore, but not tired.

I'd slept in my hoodie again, leaving several wrinkles and creases in it. It also didn't do much to ward off the cold, having worn it for three days straight. I pulled on my beanie and breathed into my hands to heat them up. Was it really this cold already?

Pulling logs into the pit didn't help if they were frozen. Frost coated everything, and the flint and steel Sarah and I used was... not present. It was inside a tent I wasn't allowed to open. Well, didn't want to. She never said it, but I think it'd be rude awakening, as well as... yeah. Inappropriate? Disrespectful? All of the Above?

I settled for waiting with the blanket wrapped around me. The fog was thick enough that it was hard to see the Route thirty meters away. It also meant we were pretty hidden from anyone passing this early in the morning. It might have been paranoia that lead me to believe someone might steal our stuff, but it was something that was reported often. I didn't want to already have to call the Rangers on the fourth day of my journey.

At least the blanket did it's job. I was warm as long as no air entered. As soon as I peeked out, I was bathed into freezing cold air. Thus, I retreated into my cloth shell. My PokeDex kept getting a layer of condensation from my breath, but it was warm. Why go out? With a messenger function, I PM'd Sarah.

'You up yet?' It was stupid, me being less than three meters from her tent, but I didn't want to call through the blanket. And I didn't feel like opening it to the air. Too cold.

About a minute later, I received a response. 'Yeah. Barely.' Hearing movement from beside me, I opened my shell and immediately regretted it. Sarah unzipped her tent and stepped out. Before going back in for her own blanket.

"So, you're up early," Sarah said, an obviously tired tone present. "Wha's with all this fog? Looks like we're in a cloud."

"It might be the mountain. Wind blows the clouds over Mt. Coronet and the Gate before dropping them down the slope. Just my guess, though." Sarah sat down beside me and looked into the dark fire pit. It really was kinda depressing.

"Seems more educated than a standard guess."

"It's just from school. Some science stuff I thought was important, I guess. It's just a guess, though. Might just be cold today." Nodding, Sarah stood up and began to take down her tent. "What're you doing?"

"We're both up. It'll be better if we get moving as soon as possible. Help clean up. It'll keep you warm. Promise." Though I was reluctant to do it, I adjusted my hat before dropping my shell. Shivering, I stood up and did as I was told.

A couple minutes later, we were ready. Using the trees as guides, we walked towards the paved road. Once I was moving, the chill was replaced by heat. It wasn't really warm, but at least it wasn't _very_ cold. I could manage.

Sarah released Yami, who loved the cold, and he began to skip forward. His claws waved back and forth as he moved. They were sharp enough for me not to want to mess with them. Akuma stayed in her ball for now, as she didn't handle the cold very well. Thorn... Well, she was slow. We'd lose more time than necessary.

The road stretched on for a long while. The fog hid the trees, grass, Pokemon, and road outside of a ten meter radius, but it began to clear as the sun rose over the horizon behind us. By the time Sarah's Poketch read 10.00, the mist faded to reveal everything but the mountain. The fog was based around the peaks, hiding them.

"That's better," I commented. It also warmed up a bit, but it was still cold. Stopping for a moment, I held out the Pokeball with Akuma inside. A button click later, and the four of us were walking down the road.

I noted that Akuma held a curiosity for Yami, being of the same typing. It was obvious enough why she'd take an interest in an ice type. Still, that same type was what held her away. She feared him, and most likely for a good reason. I would keep an eye on her, but I just hoped she didn't provoke Yami into hurting her.

"Hey!" I heard a voice calling out. Turning, I saw two guys running over to us. Two... Trainers?

"Uh, hello," I said, trying to be nice.

"I can tell you two are good Pokemon trainers. Wanna have a quick battle? Because you obviously have the Pokemon to battle." I looked at Sarah, who called over to Yami. She dropped her bag in the grass and walked away, the black-haired kid following. Probably to do the same.

"Well, I guess we can. We haven't battled yet, so it'll be a good experience, I guess."

"If you win, that is," the kid replied. He was obviously cocky.

"Try not to lose then." Just like me. I laid my hand on Akuma's neck. She hadn't fought for real. Every time she did, it was to kill and eat. Thorn, she'd tried to eat. I'd caught the Budew before that could happen, though.

"You've got something to be wary of. Check this out!" Throwing out the Pokeball, the first kid released his Pokemon. A Staravia burst out of the ball and flew a quick lap around us. It reminded me of the time I caught Akuma. It obviously reminded her, as well. She growled at the bird as it called out to us.

Looking over at the first kid, I noted he seemed younger than me. Smirking, he held the Pokeball he'd just thrown in his hand. I wondered how he did that as I saw Sarah meeting her partner. She'd agreed to battle as well.

"Link PokeDex with me! I wanna see what your stats are." My... Stats? What was he talking about? Holding out my Dex, I touched it to his. The screen turned on and displayed a trainer card. But not mine, but the kid's. His name was... Andre Gillart? With only one Pokemon, huh?

"You've only got one Pokemon? Seems pretty weak." One? No, I had Thorn, so that made two Pokemon.

"What're you talking about? I have two Pokemon."

"You mean you're really that newbish? You're supposed to register each Pokemon you catch. You moron."

"Moron, huh? Let's just see who's the real newbie here. After I wipe the floor with your Staravia. Akuma? Let's go!" Smirking, Andre whistled. Akuma began growling at him as the Staravia swooped down. It smacked Akuma on the head with it's wing, drawing her attention.

"Akuma, use your power. Shoot the bird down. Forget about the kid." Beginning to charge a ball of blue Draconic energy, she was interrupted with a wing to her side, knocking her to the dirt. I gritted my teeth. The bird was clearly faster than Akuma.

"It's no use. Dragon Rage won't even hit Evan. Even if we let you use it!" Looking over to Sarah, who was battling the shorter boy and his Poochyena with Yami. It was mostly just a blur, so I turned back to Akuma.

"Just keep trying! Try until you hit it. One shot should work." Gathering the blue ball in her mouth, she prepared to fire. With the Staravia's flapping wings keeping it aloft, it wasn't hard to aim. But the Staravia wouldn't allow a hit. Splitting into seven different mirages, I gasped.

Seven Staravia? Was this some sort of magic trick?

All of the images flew in a circle around us. With the attack charged up, Akuma released it into the circle. Hitting one of the images, it faded. Not the real bird.

"Focus, Akuma. Find the correct one. It has to be the loudest."

"What can you do now? Seems your Deino is at a disadvantage, being without eyes! Evan, Aerial Ace!" All six of the remaining Staravia began to display an amazing show of acrobatics before diving into Akuma from all sides.

As they struck, all of the copies vanished. The one remaining knocked Akuma from the right side. As it pulled up, it made two more copies. Still, I didn't let my eyes leave the center one.

"Akuma, use your... What'd he call it? Use Dragon Rage on the middle Staravia!" With the energy gathering, the black bird did not give up. In a formation, the three dived head on towards her.

The ball didn't gather fast enough. It dissipated when she was practically headbutted. She'd lowered her head at just the right time. Luckily, it also dazed the Staravia and knocked it to the ground. Akuma, on the other hand, still stood.

"Once more! The Staravia is wide open!" Shouting out commands, Andre tried to get his Staravia to get up as Akuma aimed a ball of draconic Rage at the bird. As it began to get up, the attack collided and knocked the Staravia away. It also knocked my Deino into sitting position quite quickly, the force of the explosion being point blank.

"Evan!" Andre ran to his bird. "Return!" In a burst of light, the Staravia was recalled to it's Pokeball, knocked unconscious. Going to my own Pokemon, I found Akuma to be alright. Her horn was comically bent and fraying. Rubbing her head, I helped smooth it out. She opened her mouth and looked towards me.

"I don't have any rewards for you yet. But I'll get you one, okay? And, thanks for not trying to kill the Staravia." Tilting her head to the side, she clearly didn't understand. Still, she looked alright. Maybe a little tired and might have a bruise tomorrow, but she seemed proud of herself.

"I guess you aren't so newbie after all. Here." Tossing a few Poke Dollar bills towards me. Picking them up, I put them in my pocket.

"Okay? Why are you giving me money? I mean, thanks, but why? This wasn't a tournament, was it?"

"No, stupid," Sarah said, walking up to me. I looked at the other kid, but he was kicking the grass. It was obvious he lost. "That's your prize money. Didn't you read the exam?"

"Yeah, you moron. I might just take it back if you're so stupid."

"Just shut up. You obviously lost, so maybe you're the stupid one?" I backed away as Sarah got in Andre's face. I didn't want to get in their way. Nope.

"Yeah? Well, I don't see you being any smarter than that dumbass. So, where's your defense, huh?" Andre tried to make gang signs without touching Sarah's chest, which was getting in his way.

"Like I said. You and that other kid, Toby. You both suck. Now, c'mon." She turned to me, picking up her backpack on her way. Following, I called to Akuma to follow. She tried to follow, but she stumbled and fell twice. Pulling out her ball, I pointed it at her to recall her. I stored it in my pocket for speed's sake.

"So... How'd your match go? Yami didn't get too hurt, did he?" The dancing Sneasel wasn't near Sarah anymore, like I expected him to be. Like usual.

"It's like how Akuma isn't beside you. He took a bite or two, but he'll be fine once we get to the Pokemon center. It's at the mouth of the Gate. So, let's hurry, okay?" Setting a faster pace, I followed behind. I kept some distance, but still close enough.

After an hour, Sarah calmed down a bit. Her scowl melted into a passive mood. Which was safe. It also gave me time to think that there was another way to earn money, other than hunting. Beating trainers earned you money. Not saying that I would, but should I lose, I owed someone some cash. No Risk, No Dinner?

But that also meant I would have some chance to lose everything, if I'm defeated several times. Not that I'd ever let that happen, but it was a possibility.

"So, how far is the Gate from here," I asked, once Sarah was calm. I didn't know if it was the best plan of action, but I was impatient.

"We should be there by dinner. So, seven hours?" Seven hours? That was a while... Still. better than sleeping out in the sticks again. Opening my PokeDex, I looked at something that I'd thought about since my battle. My first battle, mind you.

Andre had said I only had one Pokemon registered. Akuma had been registered for me, Perry and Yami for Sarah. They were preregistered when we displayed them during the exam. So, how would I do it? Was this something I missed?

Poking around was a good way to pass time, along with playing a coin flip game I found. After some searching, I found what it was. On the trainer card, my ID, was a row of twelve spheres. One was taken, filled with a single Pokeball. When I tapped it, the icon of a Deino was displayed. Cartoonish, but a Deino.

An empty sphere, when tapped, ejected a Pokeball sized ring. Placing a Pokeball in it was my first guess, so I put Thorns Pokeball in it. Turns out, that's all I needed to do to register it as mine. Then two buttons appeared.

"For Active Use" or

"For Storage"

Both made little sense, but I guessed Thorn was for Active Use. Which probably meant for battling. So, once I pressed that button, a new Pokeball appeared next to my Deino one. Tapping on it revealed a Cartoon Budew blooming and back to a bud. Then a note appeared on my screen, a message from the Pokemon League.

 _Trainer SI863FL239A,_

 _Thank you for registering your first Pokemon. Please remember that carrying an unregistered Pokemon is against League Rules and can be punished with fines or even expulsion from the League. Any Pokemon not under your ownership will be released and your pokeball will not be refunded._

 _Please do not respond to this message, as it is an automated response._

 _~ The Sinnoh Pokemon League and Government_

"Hey, Sarah? I just got a message from the Pokemon League."

"What? What for? What's it say?" Taking the Dex from me, she read through the message. It was short, but I bet she was trying to read in between the lines. "Oh, I see. I guess you're lucky we weren't caught by Rangers yet. And don't scare me like that. You never know when we could be called."

"For what? Why would the League bother messaging us when they simply have automated responses?"

"Just how much of the Trainers did you research and how much did you hear from stories? Pokemon Trainers of the League can be called to do anything they want. You could be drafted into a Militia from the moment you receive a PokeDex."

"The Military? I thought trainers were simply supposed to beat the gyms."

"If that was true, the League would have been overrun with problems. We become trainers at that expense. Of course, it's highly unlikely, since we don't have any badges, but once we're strong enough, they won't hesitate."

"I just want to beat the gyms and be the best. I'm not going to join the Military, even if they tell me to."

"... You do know that paper that you signed back at the exam center? Back in Jubilife? That was basically a signature of consent. Did you not even read it?"

"Nope. Wait, so you mean, if I don't follow their orders, I can be held accountable or something?"

"Among other things, yes."

"Oh. Well, that sucks." Shrugging, we both set off. Sarah handed me my Dex and I pocketed it. We walked in silence for several more miles.

We didn't really say much at all after that, really. We just walked. Noon passed and I felt a bit of hunger. Still, I didn't say anything. If we did get food, we'd be out another hour. And with the impatience to arrive, I held down the urge. And by the time the sun set, we could see the lights of the... Town?

"Wait, what town is that? You never said anything about a town being here." The glow of lights could be seen, even if we were still a ways out.

"It isn't a town. Just a place with a Pokemon Center and a bunch of businesses having to do with the Gate. Guides, supplies, and other necessities. People moved here once the businesses began. I don't know much about it either, but I know it's really just an outpost, of sorts."

"An outpost? If that's an outpost, Floaroma is a city."

"Let's just get to the Pokemon Center." Speeding the pace up, Sarah bee lined for the Center. Her bag made a constant clinking noise, but it was rhythmic, making it the beat I walked to. Impatient and hungry, it was no lesser reason not to go fast. I think I'll have a Miltank Burger for dinner. Maybe some soda, too?

* * *

 **I almost feel like Akuma is like a protective dog than a Dragon. Also, it was kinda hard to write the part about camping and hunting because I've never done either of them. All I know is put down a tent and sleep. Of course, now that Lorano has, makes him better than me, right?**

 **I'm really sorry about not writing sooner. I didn't write for 1 week, played games and wrote a few paragraphs the next. And now I'm trying to catch up. Yeah... Like that'll happen...**

 **Anyways, if you guys enjoyed, be sure to leave a review and tell me stuff! Always is nice to see some feedback.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel


	6. Test of the Gate

**For this chapter, I did a bit of research for this. Lots of reading and planning. Of course, that's not saying I actually wrote down the stuff on the site. Which is why I was a bit late in publishing it. Again. But I've tried to make a schedule for myself. I kinda wish this was my job, to be honest.**

 **Thanks, everyone, for writing a review and following the story. It really means a lot to me.**

 **Leave a review and tell me how the chapter was! Thanks!**

* * *

A ringing phone woke me from my sleep, forcing me to get it. Picking it up, I heard a woman's voice say something about Pokemon and coming down stairs when I was ready. I agreed anyways, even if I didn't understand it. Until I heard an annoying beeping noise, then I put the phone back.

Yawning, I checked the clock on the nightstand. It was almost nine, but I felt like it was earlier. Looking around the room, I noted it wasn't my own. It was clean and tidy, with a small table and chair. A TV was hung on the wall and a remote below it. With a mini fridge under the table, it looked like an apartment. Really small apartment.

Where was I?

Stretching, I got off the comfy bed. I went to the bathroom by the front door and got myself a cup of water. Looking in the mirror, I noticed my clothes were branded with embroidered Pokeballs. Similar to the Poke Center back in Jubilife. However, a bold number 9 on it. Unlike my own pair, which had a 6.

Was I in the Pokemon Center? I don't really remember changing into their clothes, but I also didn't remember emptying my bag either. half of my bag's contents sat at the foot of the bed, none of it clothes. The bag itself was below the table, apparently thrown across the room. I must have been really tired.

Picking it all up, I couldn't find any of my clothes. The blue blanket Sarah lent to me was also no where to be found, and it wasn't that hard to spot! Just what had I done with all my clothes?

Opening my PokeDex, which I found on the floor beside the bed, I sent Sarah a message.

 _Do you know where I put all my clothes?_

 _What are you talking about?_

 _I can't find any of my clothes. I can't remember what I did with them, either._

 _We had them washed. Didn't they call you, too? They told us our Pokemon and clothes were ready to be picked up, and we could come down to get them when we were ready._

 _Oh... I wasn't really listening when they called._

 _Obviously._

Well. That explains where my clothes were. But, that didn't quite explain what happened. It was like getting drunk, to be honest, without the hangover. Not that... I knew what getting drunk was like. I couldn't drink for three more years, anyways.

With my bag packed with what I had, it was quite light. And with light grey sweatshirt and sweats, it was like I was an advertisement to become a trainer. It's easy! Just join the League today! We'll take all your freedoms and force you to sign a letter of consent! Yeah...

I yawned again as I opened the door. Sarah's room was down the hall from me, as more trainers were here than Jubilife these days. It was cold, yes, but trainers were still returning from Oreburgh with shiny new badges. Some went straight to Eterna, but the best and quickest route required a bike. Going around Mt. Coronet was the simplest choice.

It reminded me of that one kid that poked fun of me, back in Floaroma. It was that kid with the Luxio. He was one of the trainers who would trek through the Eterna Forest and challenge the Eterna Gym. What was his name?

I walked down the stairs to the main floor of the Poke Center, looking very similar to the one in Jubilfe, but I saw a small set of shrines. I saw the symbols of Arceus, Dialga, Palkia, and Xatu. I noticed a shrine for Giratina was missing.

"Hello, uh, Nurse Joy. Are my Pokemon ready?" I was a little nervous in asking, but I did have a call that said they were ready.

"Yes, may I see your Trainer ID for confirmation?" Pulling out my PokeDex, I opened the ID screen. I handed it to the Nurse and she checked it's validity.

"I see. Yes, your Pokemon are ready. I'll go get them for you." Going into the back, she returned with two Pokeballs. I pocketed both Akuma and Thorn and thanked the Nurse. She bowed to me, but I was interrupted by a man with a box made of fabric. Strange.

"I believe these are yours?" I took the box and opened it. Looking inside, I saw my clothes. So, this is where they were!

"Thanks, sir."

"We'll need you to return the Pokemon Center's clothes, or you could buy them from us." I saw the grey sweats in my box of stuff.

"No, I'm good. I'll go change and return the clothes." Nodding, the man allowed me to go to a separate room, guiding me to it. It was past a lineup of a dozen washers and driers, to two doors. I guessed one was for males, the other for females.

Taking out my own sweatshirt, along with the grey sweats from Jubilife and a black T-shirt, I changed as quickly as I could. Though the clothes were similar to workout clothes, they weren't meant to be high-quality. It was quite obvious, too. Once I was dressed, I exited and handed the clothes, along with the box, to the attendant waiting for me.

"I'll lead you back to the main lobby. Follow me, please?" Being respectful, even if I knew the way back, I followed him back to the entrance. Looking to the front counter, I saw Sarah there picking up her Pokemon. The young man nodded to me and went back into the laundry room.

"Hey, Sarah. Morning." I walked over to her, though she was still in the Pokemon Center's clothes. She took back her Dusk ball and Great Ball from the nurse.

"Good morning." She picked up her large blue backpack from the ground. I wondered how she had fit her clothes in it, along side her tent and the blanket I laid over my own bag. She had went on a bit of a shopping spree back in Jubilife, so it was amazing nothing was broken yet.

I noticed the man who'd given me my clothes walked up to us with two white boxes. He handed them over to Sarah and thanked her, even though I couldn't imagine any circumstances where he'd actually be happy about doing two boxes worth of laundry for free. Sarah accepted them and looked inside.

"Would you like me to show you to out private changing rooms?" The man was nice enough, and I didn't notice any real emotions. A perfect servant.

"Um... One sec." Sarah turned to me. "You should call your parents. I've noticed you haven't talked to them much, so it'd be nice to know you do keep them updated."

"What about you?" I never heard her call her parents. Why should she be exempt from it?

"I PM my parents every night. Now, Mr. Guide. Where were these dressing rooms?" The man nodded and lead her into the back room for her to change. Pulling out my PokeDex, I opened the phone app and looked in my contacts.

It wasn't like I didn't know my home's number by heart. I could probably call my parents in my sleep. But I was nervous to touch the phone icon. If I did, what would they say? Who would pick up? What would _I_ say? Still, what would they say if I didn't call them? Picking up my courage, I called them.

"Hello?" It was my father who answered. What do I say?"

"H-hey Dad. It's me." I backed away from the front desk and moved to the couches.

"Oh. Hey, son. How's it going?" How's.. it going? That didn't sound like him. "Do you need to talk to your Mother? She's been worried for you."

"I-it's fine. I just called to... I called to let you know I'm fine. I'm outside the Oreburgh Gate, so no signal for a few days." I knew caves and electricity didn't really get along very well. It would probably be a week a most, but it's already been half a week since they heard from me.

"That's some good progress. Your Mom took two weeks to get there. Just remember... Take it slow, okay? I'd rather you stayed safe out there. For our sake."

"Thanks. I'll remember that." Slow? If I took it slow, it'd be years before I reached the point even close to a Champion's level. Still, reassuring him would be good in the long run.

"And your Mother and I will be looking on the League's website and channel, so give us a call when your gym match comes up. Okay?"

"Alright. I will. Thanks Dad."

"How about I go get your Mom? Then you can talk to her, okay? I'll go get her."

"No, Dad! It's fine-" But he'd already left. Clicking the button, I hung up and laid back in the sofa. His entire attitude towards me was surprising because he was so against the idea of me leaving. Having Pokemon is his greatest fear, considering his past with Pokemon.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my shoulder. I jumped and yelped in surprise. Then laughing. I looked behind me to see Sarah in her own clothes, laughing. I grumbled a bit, but I knew it was just a joke. I stood up and grabbed my bag.

"Uh, are you ready to get to the Oreburgh Gate?" I was a bit nervous about going into the cave. Some people said it took three days to cross without a guide, but I didn't think it was quite that long. Not like I could speak from experience...

My bag wasn't that heavy, but I still felt a bit weighed down. I put my PokeDex in my pocket and nodded. Though it was weird and confusing, I did call my parents. Sarah gave me a strange look, but I didn't pay it much attention.

"Well, I don't think Zubats or Geodude are good for dinner. We should buy some food before we go in." Food? I hadn't thought of that! With my call to my Dad, no wonder I forgot.

"Well... Maybe Zubats don't taste that bad?" We didn't exactly have the funds to be tossing around. Still, the thought of having to eat Geodude is gross.

"Right, I'll let you eat Zubat while I'm eating some Miltank Steak or Topo Salad. Then you'll know. Why do you think you never see it in almost any recipe?"

"Because it's bad," I admitted. We walked out of the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center, and I immediately regretted getting out of bed this morning. It was cold. Really cold. A layer of frost covered everything, and the people walking around were wearing coats and scarves.

True, I had my own, and I put it on as soon as we exited, but a hoodie is hardly enough to stop the cold. Being inside the cave must be like a freezer in there.

Shivering, we both walked to the local grocery mart. I kind of doubted there to be one in the outpost, but the place was more like a town that a simple resting area. Houses, businesses, and market alike set up shop here. All in the hopes of squeezing a little extra out of Trainers before they entered the Gate. I guess it worked, too.

Inside the grocery mart, it was like any other. Berries, meats, and whatever else they had on sale. Like an electric stove. I would've bought one if I lived here.

"So... What should we get?" I turned to Sarah, expecting an answer. When she just shrugged, I nearly facepalmed. It was her idea! "Fine. We need meat. A lot of meat. And a few berries, like Topo, Cheri, Tamato, and Nanab should be good. Maybe an Oran or Sitrus, too."

Grabbing a small basket, Sarah and I walked down the aisle. I grabbed a few Topo and Cheri berries and put them in the plastic sacks provided. Sarah managed the Tamato and Nanab.

I was thankful for the heating inside, but it also meant I had to carry my scarf and hat with the food. Down the line of fridges, I saw several packages of meat. However, if we took them, they'd rot before we spent a day inside the Gate. But I did find a good deal on a pot. Small, but it was useful. And beside it, there was a stack of water bottles. Sarah had one, but it was nice to have one of my own.

"Hey, look at this! There's a sale on Miltank and Spoink jerky! There's also Bouffalant and Tauros Jerky, but it's a bit more..." I looked at the packages Sarah was looking at. Among the meat jerky, there was also dried berries and mushrooms. I grabbed a dozen or so of them and threw them in the basket. Hopefully it was good, because this would spend, not only the prize money we won yesterday, but also most of my wallet's contents.

Both of us approached the checkout and placed the basket on the conveyor belt. The clerk looked bored as he scanned the items one after another. I nodded to Sarah and she handed me her money. I could tell she was reluctant, but she took off her bag anyways.

I would carry some of the food with me, along with the pot, but since she had a larger pack, Sarah would be carrying most of it.

"Alright, sir. Total is 1176 Poke Dollars." Counting out the money Sarah gave me, I was a little nervous when I reached the end of the stack. The money we both held equaled to approximately 1.3k. And I was about to spend it all. "C'mon, kid. I don't have all day." I handed over the money, regretfully.

Helping to pack up the food, I put half a dozen packs of jerky and dried berries in my bag. Taking out my belt, I lead one end trough the metal handle and sinched it to my bag. I guessed it worked well, but it was heavy being on the outside of the bag.

Sarah was sad when I handed her the hundred bill I'd gotten as change. Still, she didn't complain.

With the food in our bags, I had one stop I wanted to make. Just one, before we entered the cave. Opening my PokeDex, I also pulled on my hat and scarf. My map wasn't the highest detail, but it did have names above the shops. And the Pokemon Guild was quite obvious with the red and white roof.

Similar to the Pokemon Center.

"What're you doing?" Sarah looked over my shoulder. The sign of the Pokemon Guild was clearly visible, but she didn't say anything.

"I had a question about Akuma. They'll probably know the answer. And I would look it up, but no one will explain it." I began walking towards the Guild, with Sarah following.

Across two blocks and around a corner, we reached the other side of the town. I didn't know exactly what to call it now. With the Pokemon Guild in front of us, I lead the way and pushed open the door. I stepped inside and found it was different than the one in Floaroma. At least, it wasn't what I expected.

Instead of it being some happy place for kids to buy Pokemon, it was more of a Hunter's selling point. Skins and heads were hung on the walls and ceiling. Sarah took one look and shook her head.

"I don't really like it in here." The decoration creeped me out as well, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it. I stood straight and calm as I approached the front counter. A fairly well built man was there cleaning his boot with his knife. It was a bit intimidating, but I assumed that was the point.

"Excuse me, sir, but could I ask a question on dragons? I do have something to sell, as well." He glanced up at me, slightly annoyed. But then he put his knife in the holster on his belt.

"Dragons, huh? You planning on catching one? Kinda dangerous for a kid like you." The man's voice was deep and grating. It was like he inhaled something he shouldn't have, for too long.

"No, no. I've already caught one. She's my starter Pokemon. I just had a question about one of her moves." In response, the man raised his head to reveal a set of scars across his face.

"You see these, kid? This is what happens when you underestimate what a Dragon can do. But even if my words and face don't convince you, you can ask away." I noticed he had scars on his arms and hands as well, meaning his run-in with dragons hadn't been good.

"Well... I don't really know much about the move Dragon's Rage. I think that's what that kid called it..."

"You're right, kid. Not many do. Luckily, I might be one of those that can tell you. But you said you had something to sell? I don't give away information for free, you know?" Right. The price of information. Nothing is free in life, was it?

Pulling out the Sentret skin, I had made sure to keep it clean. Some of the fur was a bit bent out of shape, but the majority was good. I handed it over to the man, but I wasn't quite sure how much my question was worth. Nor was I sure how much the skin was worth either.

"This'll cover it. So, you want to know about Dragon's Rage? First, I need you to tell me how far your Dragon has progressed in using the move."

"Well... Her accuracy has improved, but I don't think it's actually gotten any stronger. And that's why I came here to ask you."

"That's exactly what Dragon's Rage is. In order to gain power, a Dragon, or any similar Pokemon, can learn Dragon's Rage. It can use everything it has to use that attack in the beginning. But, as it's been said. Nothing it for free. The cost of this strength is the penalty to never strengthen the move once learned. It's best learned at later stages of the Pokemon, but some can't control what they know."

Akuma... could never improve Dragon's Rage? That meant she'd have a move doing a set amount of damage forever! Would she learn a move that was more powerful? What did she learn in the future?

"Well, if that answers your question, I think you'd better leave. Your girlfriend over there looks like she's going to be sick." I looked behind me and saw Sarah with a sick look. I nodded in thanks to the man before going through the door behind Sarah.

"Let's never go back in there. I don't think I like it in Pokemon Guilds."

"Most aren't like that. Most deal with buying and selling Pokemon. Without many kids around here, it's better to promote hunting or trapping for money." I adjusted my bag's strap as we began to make our way to the mountain.

"I'll never give up Pokemon to one of them. They'll probably just skin it alive and toss it back into the woods." I looked over to her, surprised at how far she just went.

"Just because they deal with skins, that doesn't mean they're only after furs. They're business doesn't involve them doing anything other than ripping people off. That's what earns them money."

"I think the term is 'Haggling', but that doesn't matter. It's still sick." I glanced at the houses around us, and saw a few people looking at us weird. They probably didn't know what we were talking about, but it didn't really matter to me. "I don't think we're going to have enough to hire a guide, though,"

"I never planned to," I replied. "They're just a service, meaning it's not necessary. We'll be fine going through alone." Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. "We also don't have enough money to pay for one."

The mention of low funds was enough to stop her talking. Between us, we might have had 200 Poke Dollars. A guide might have cost anywhere from 1000 to anywhere to 3000. We had nowhere near the cash to pay for one. That was that. Besides, who really needed one? A champion didn't need someone's help.

We were easily on the other side of... whatever this place was, in under fifteen minutes. It wasn't exactly at the base of the mountain, nor the opening of the Gate, but it was visible from here. It took almost half an hour to get up there, but that was only because it was slower to climb.

I looked behind me, seeing just how small the place was. There wasn't much I really remembered of it, but it's not like it really mattered. What did is that I didn't remember. Some memories were faded, but parts were simply gone.

"Hey, Sarah. Why don't I remember anything from last night? I don't get it." Sarah was in front of me, on all fours like me as we crawled up the side of the mountain. It wasn't that steep, but I wanted to be safe. Yeah.

"Well, you did talk to a Psychic last night. I'm not sure what you guys talked about, but it's the closest thing I can think of. You did bump your head, too, but I doubt that was enough to give you amnesia. Besides, you'll probably remember after a while. I think." So, nothing happened. But there was something that disturbed me. If I talked to a Psychic, was it a person or a Pokemon. Well, more important, the removal of memories was illegal in... Everywhere.

"So a Psychic Pokemon stole my memories. Did you noticed anything strange after that?" I'd heard that Memory Extraction was painful. Did I act like a tough guy or something?

"No, right after that, you went up to your room and went to sleep. You'd eaten and stuff already, so it's not really weird. What do you mean?" Then what happened? "Oh, we're here." I glanced up from my thoughts and pulled myself onto the plateau behind Sarah. My previous thoughts vanished at the sight of the cave.

The entrance was huge, shaped like a triangle. It was like two hands were holding open two curtains. In fact, two hands were carved into the mountain, reinforcing the idea. All I could do was look at it with an open mouth, even if the gate was still fifty meters ahead.

"C'mon, Dragon Boy. Better hurry, or it'll be a month before we get to Oreburgh. A whole month before you can eat a Miltank burger." A month? Kinda hard to believe. But for a burger, I'd make sure we got there quickly. I took the first step forward and adjusted my bag. Now or never.

The cave loomed ahead, giving an intimidating feeling to those who approached. I had expected it to be busier than it was, as only two small buildings were near the Gate; a Ranger's Outpost and a small Bathroom.

As we walked towards the cave, the door to the Ranger's Outpost opened and a man dressed in the standard Ranger's uniform stepped out.

"Hello, trainers! Planning to go through the Gate on your own? You are kinda late. Still, you aren't the first one to come around today, so I guess it isn't too weird..." We stepped closer as he talked to us. Someone else already passed today? I guess that wasn't too weird, but who was in front of us?

"Any guide, any maps, anything? I don't want you kids to get hurt or lost by yourselves. That's why I've kept the girl from earlier here." Taking off a radio on his belt, the Ranger spoke into it, telling whoever Jake was to bring out the girl.

When the door opened again, a familiar girl stepped out, along side another Ranger. What was her name again? Her black hair and clothing made her easy to forget, I guessed.

"Here, Winston. Brought the girl. Now I'm going back inside. It's freezing out here." Slamming the door shut, the second Ranger went back into the Outpost.

"Ah, don't mind him. He's kinda moody, but he's a good guy. I think... Anyways, this is July Caspin. I want you two to take her with you. Just in case, you know?" The memory of the girl returned, but it was back in Jubilife, during the test.

"Hey, I know you! You were there when we were taking our tests!" The Ranger Winston looked between us and smirked.

"Looks like you guys know each other. I'll just leave you guys to... Yeah. Have a safe journey!" With a slamming of the door, Winston went back inside and the three of us were left alone.

"So, what happened to you after the first part of the test," Sarah ask, mimicking my own questions.

"Different schedules," July said, short and simple. I could tell she only said what needed to be said.

"I get it. You showed your Pokemon first and then took the written exam. Makes sense. Which Pokemon do you have? Because they've got to be cool." I felt like her own appearance would be a clear sign of which Pokemon she had. It had to be.

"Of course, moron. And I don't feel like showing you my Pokemon. Maybe when we battle, we'll find out what each other has." Uh... I guess she says what she feels like. Wait, when was I a moron!? Cutting me off, Sarah spoke up.

"How old are you? You look a little young to me." I saw a twitch in July's face. I don't think that was the right question to ask.

"I'm almost sixteen! And I'm just a little short, alright!?" She yelled at Sarah, obviously hating her more than me. At least I wasn't being yelled at... Lucky me, huh?

"Now, now. Why don't we just go into the Gate? It'll be better once we're all moving forward, right?" Both glared at me, and I thought they were going to yell at me, but July was the first to speak up.

"Fine. I guess the moron is right. We should get moving so we can get this over as soon as possible."

"Hey! Why am I the moron!?" July simply glared at me, not giving a response, as she shouldered her backpack. I didn't really understand her, but I knew we weren't going to get along well. Still, I didn't really want to be mean. Insulting her because she insulted me didn't seem fair. If there was a reason, I'd gladly do it.

Passing the two hands that held open the entrance for us, I quickly noticed even the curtain effect was carved. The cave quickly narrowed to be less than five meters. Ceiling and walls. It was a bit smaller, but the space was still quite roomy. I pulled out my flashlight and clicked it on. Taking a quick look behind me, I knew it would be a while before I saw the sun again, even if it was cold sunlight.

.

We walked along the path for an hour, the light from the entrance no where to be seen. I'd dropped my flashlight once, and we were bathed in darkness. Sarah squeaked in surprise, but July didn't say anything. She seemed to be fine with the dark, so long as she could see.

Retrieving the light, I received a generous slap to the back of my head. I looked up and saw July walking past me. I grumbled about it, but decided against doing anything. I shined my flashlight down the tunnel and made sure July was still there. Which she was.

The cave was rock, rock, and more rock. Not much else. Our footsteps echoed down the tunnel and made any words said sound like we were shouting. And as we went deeper, the echoing got louder. Being said, we didn't talk much.

I was a bid nervous about letting Akuma out to walk with us, with the echos and July being near us. Yes, she was learning not to attack humans, along with actually recognizing Humans. She still had a bit of trouble recognizing one from a Pokemon. Thorn, she couldn't walk very fast, her small legs only able to waddle.

Sarah was fine with letting Perry out, as he was her light. His orange fur glowed brightly as he scampered along side us or laid on Sarah's head. My flashlight was strong enough to light the way, but it was best to have a redundant light. July didn't have one, mainly because she didn't care. I don't think she cared much about anything.

"What's that noise," I whispered, even if it sounded louder. A sound of shuffling and squeaks could be heard coming down the tunnel. As I listened, it began to grow louder, getting closer to us.

"I think it might be Zubat," July said, looking back towards us. I reached into my pocket and withdrew my two Pokeballs. I looked to Sarah and saw her reach up to Perry. July just pulled out a knife.

"Wait, what? Are you seriously just going to use a cheap knife? It'll be easier to just use your Pokemon!" I tried to be quiet, but it was quite difficult. With the Zubats getting closer, it was harder to hear whispers.

"I'm not going to be showing of my Pokemon, Stupid." That was that. The way she said it, the conversation was over. And why was I stupid again? I was just trying to help...

Shrugging, I had no problem having Thorn and Akuma out. Better these two than my knife. At least they could actually fight. It's been over a year since I did Judo. I was rusty, and using it on Zubats probably didn't work that well. As such, I would resort to my Pokemon. With an audible click, along with two bright flashes, Thorn and Akuma materialized.

"Alright, you two. Hear that? We've got a battle coming up." I patted Akuma on her head and smoothed out her horn. It was a bit more dangerous, but I also made sure to show Thorn I still showed friendship towards her. Until she obeyed me more, I had to make sure not to make her unhappy.

Continuing on, we were cautious of the Zubat jumping us. I shined my light down the tunnel until the light faded out. The sounds were getting louder, so I suspected they were right around the bend I could see. Dark, but there for sure.

"Look! There they are." Sarah said, almost shouting. Akuma spun around and growled at her. I guessed a Deino's ears are meant to be sensitive, so it must have been super loud for her. I laid a hand on her head as I shined my light towards the approaching swarm. And my gut dropped.

There were at least a hundred.

They were all flying straight towards us. I looked towards July and Sarah, making sure they were prepared. Even though we were underground, making electric attacks weaker, Perry had electricity leaking from his cheeks. It flashed as it jumped to the ceiling and walls.

"Ready?"

"'Course, Stupid. Why do you think I have my knife out?" With my hand on Akuma, I stopped her from jumping into action. I'd forgotten to introduce July, making it strange to find out another person was with us. With echoes, it was difficult to differentiate the three of us.

"Calm down, Akuma. She's... I don't really know, but she's with us." Leading Thorn was difficult since she was slow, but she followed me, even if she didn't understand me. I don't know her story before I caught her, but she seemed to trust me.

When the Zubats were closer, I sprung into action with my commands.

"Akuma, Dragon's Rage. But tell Thorn to use Razor Leaf." I noticed Sarah giving an order to Perry, before he ran quickly across the wall towards the Zubat swarm. July... She held her ground with her knife.

As a blue ball was released, it passed Perry and July and exploded against a dozen Zubats. I saw them fall out of the air from the force, but the rest of them resisted since there were so many of them. Two leaves were thrown on Akuma's orders and the sharp blades stuck into the wings of one of the Zubats and it fell too.

Perry brought more damage to the table. By jumping into the center of the mass, he hitched a ride before releasing an arcing burst of electricity. It jumped from Zubat to Zubat, downing them quickly. Some of the power jumped to the ground, rendering it useless. Still, several dropped.

July was fast in action with her knife. It was quite amazing, the way she was able to hit a few of them. But there were still more. Covering my head, I pulled out my own knife in time to receive a set of fangs into my arm. It gave me an easy target at a cost. I swung my knife and cut into the Zubat's wing, releasing my arm.

Sarah screamed as Zubats swarmed us. I was scared of them, but I knew Zubats didn't have any prominent poisons yet. If it was a Golbat, I'd be really scared. Still, poison was poison.

"Don't let them bite you!" It was the only thing I could think of before I bit into a wing. Not on purpose, but a Zubat flew into my face. With a crackling noise, I felt electricity course through my body. Perry was close. I couldn't see very well past the sea of wings, but me swinging my light around didn't help either.

I heard Akuma and Thorn somewhere around me, attacking the Zubat that got too close. I guessed Akuma was biting anything around her, and Thorn was most likely using Stun Spore and Absorb, but it was just a guess.

I felt my hair standing up, after the shock I'd gotten, before I noticed the Zubats continuing past us. We just happened to be in their way. Not their targets. But only a few Zubats still pestered us. I swiped my knife at one and caught it in the tail. It dropped, unable to control itself.

Looking around, Perry dealt with the last Zubat around Sarah, who was crouched on to ground covering her head. And July stabbed her knife into a Zubat, before punching another out of the air. And she had blood on her jacket.

Looking at my own clothes, I saw my grey sweats were dyed with dark red blood in blots. My shirt was luckier than my sweats, but a few drops were there.

Akuma was tearing into one of the downed Zubats and Thorn was sitting on one of the downed as it struggled. I guessed she had poisoned it.

I was breathing heavily. It was one of my most intense battles ever, and the Zubat weren't even trying to attack us. Where ever they were going, they just happened to pass us. And we killed several of them. The thought that we'd just murdered them brought a feeling a hadn't felt in a while.

Nausea and disgust.

My gut twisted and made me feel sick. I laid my hand on Akuma and pulled her away from the Zubat. Thorn's Pokeball was used to return her and I sat against the wall of the cave.

Sarah was doing the same. Most likely because of fear than what I felt. July, she just cleaned her knife against the body of the Zubat and sheathed it.

"C'mon, you babies. We don't have all day. I'm either leaving without you, or you're both coming with me." Sarah looked towards July, before standing up. Myself, I just stood, even though I didn't enjoy the sight of dozens of dead Zubat and blood.

I held my arm and shone my flashlight ahead, following July as she walked down the corridor. I heard Akuma making small noises in the cave, in the strange environment. It'd been months since she was in a cave, so it was no wonder she was curious.

"You're bleeding," I heard Sarah say behind me. I looked down at my arm, while it hurt, I'd assumed it was a small bite. The two fangs of the Zubat had punctured my arm and left two trails dripping off my finger tips. On top of that, I noticed my hand and forearm was numb.

"Here, let me bandage it." Sarah took out some gauze and some spray. It wasn't Blissey or Chancey Egg Extract, but it did help. I tried to help, but my fingertips weren't as responsive as I expected. It was a strange sensation, but at least it was only in my right hand.

July's exasperated breath was audible, even if she was fifteen or so meters ahead. Akuma was nudging me, trying to get me moving again. I guessed she was confused about my injury. I'd never really shown and injuries to her, ask I'd return her if I was. And she'd never been too badly hurt.

Wincing, Sarah tied off the bandage of gauze. Akuma was instantly there, growling at Sarah. I used my functional left hand to catch her black fur and calm her. She looked back at me and sniffed my other arm. Then she sneezed on me.

I wiped my arm off and got up. I thanked Sarah for the bandage and continued down the dark path, following July. She was making leaving motions as I walked up to her. One look at Sarah told me she wasn't on best terms either, rolling her eyes. Steeling myself, I walked behind her, through the Gate.

.

The cave was straight for several hours. Relatively straight. There was only one path, though it curved, bent, rose and fell. The usual. But then I noticed it was getting colder. Much colder. I pulled my hat on tighter and made sure my scarf didn't have anything disturbing it.

Then, I saw the exit. Rushing forward, I signaled for the two girls to hurry. Akuma was happy to keep pace, as she didn't like being around July. She'd kept her distance the whole time, preferring to be ahead. I'd regained enough sensation in my right hand to keep Akuma from racing to the end.

"Doesn't it seem to easy to be the exit," July called. It bothered me too. Was that really the exit? I'd heard the Gate was a labyrinth, not some straight forward path. Was this connected to religion or something, something I wasn't seeing?

We made our ways closer to the bright exterior. It was outside, that much was for sure. That's the only thing that really matters. Closer and closer we got, the more Akuma tried to go faster. It was a bit difficult to keep her back from simply sprinting.

Then we exited the Gate.

It obviously wasn't the exit to the Gate, but it was an exit. Once free from the cave air, I breathed in heavy lungfuls of mountain air. Sweet, yet biting cold mountain air. The sun shone down and showed a grey and brown assortment of... rocks. Akuma was excited about it, but it was pretty boring. Just rocks, maybe some bits of grass coming from the cracks.

"Told you it wasn't the end of the Gate, Stupid." July came up behind me and flicked me in the head. "I'm guessing we're camping here for tonight?" I looked around for anything the resembled a cave entrance, other than the one behind us. With the ridges and rocks around us, it was impossible to find one.

"What are you talking about, camping? We can still go further." Sarah was covering her eyes with her hand, as the sun was still in the sky. After being in a cave, it was difficult to adjust so quickly to the sun again. I myself was squinting in the bright light.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm tired. After fighting a swarm of Zubats, I want to sleep." As she was speaking, she pulled out of her bag a blanket and pillow. She was serious.

"What time... When did you get to the Rangers' Outpost today?" We got up to the cave around ten, so her being there must have meant she was there earlier than us. Just when did she get there and how early did she wake up? She must have been tired, if she woke up that early.

"I usually travel in the afternoon and into the night. I wake up late, but I stayed up long enough to reach the Cave. I thought if I got here, I'd sleep. So, I'm tired, I've been up all night, and I want some sleep." Her eyes were a bit shadowed, but I just assumed it was makeup or style. Now that she was closer, I could tell it was the long night that was showing.

"We can't travel if our party is tired," I decided. I wasn't exactly the leader, but I was making an executive decision. We would be camping near here, considering we had to stick together. It wasn't exactly like we were required to stay with July. I just knew it was what we were supposed to do.

"We can't just camp in the rocks," Sarah said. She sounded a bit grumpy, having her plan refused.

"I'll be able to sleep fine. Don't know about you, Pretty Girl. But I can sleep anywhere." July slung her bag, blanket, and pillow over her shoulder and followed as I began looking for a place to set up camp. What exactly I was looking for, that was a more difficult question.

I shivered as we climbed over rocks and gravel. The ascent wasn't steep, but it wasn't to be taken lightly. You wouldn't fall to your death, like in a movie. It wasn't that much incline, but it would sure scare you if you slipped. Akuma seemed excited, having no troubled with the climb.

"Why should we have to even stay with her? She'll just slow us down." Sarah caught up with me, leaving July to fall behind. I looked at her, before continuing to look around.

"You said it yourself. We have to follow every order given to us. Those Rangers commanded us to stick with her until the end. So, we're going to reach the other side together." Sarah looked insulted that I'd actually used her words against her, choosing to fall behind to pout. It wasn't something I really wanted to do, make her upset with me. But I really didn't want a fine. We didn't have the money to cover those kinds of things.

I was a bit anxious about what we were doing, as we climbed the mountain higher and higher. It looked like a path, but if a Pokemon used this to reach it's den, we might encounter danger. To sate it, I opened a bag of Spoink Jerky. Chewing on it, though it was tough stuff, it helped as I looked around for an entrance to the next cave or campsite.

After hiking for almost an hour, July spotted a tree to camp by. We'd just come around a ridge when she spotted it. Following her finger, I saw it was a bit down hill from the trail and hidden inside some sort of alcove. She climbed over the wall, the one hiding the lower half of the tree, before jumping down. I recalled Akuma, as she wanted to keep going.

My guess was that it wasn't too far of a drop, for July to just take it. Leaning over the edge, I saw the drop was almost 3 meters. It might have even been 4 meters, but I couldn't tell for sure. And July was there, just standing there. She was looking up at us, almost expecting us to follow. How'd she just jump down something like this?

"What're you waiting for," She called up to us. I looked to Sarah, but she was already doing something. Pulling out a length of thin rope, she tied an end to a root extending from the tree we saw in front of us.

"Do you plan to rappel down the side," I asked. It did seem like a great idea, but it was a thin rope. It looked like it could only hold one person and that person had to have a good grip. Still, taking the rope, Sarah swung over the lip of the alcove and dropped down. Looking over the edge, I saw she safely reached the bottom.

"C'mon, slowpoke," July called up to me. She was busy trying to set up a campsite and Sarah released Yami to help. I did as Sarah did, swinging myself over the lip with the rope in my hands. It was sorta scary, falling with only a rope, but I safely landed on my feet. My breath was heavier than when I started, but at least I was safe.

"'Bout time, you pansy." July flicked me in the head before yawning. I looked over to Yami and Sarah, in time to see the Sneasel hacking into the branches of the tree. The severed limbs fell to the base of the tree and were gathered up by Sarah.

I looked over the edge of the alcove to see the more... steeper drop off the mountain. It was a bit unsettling to see the drop, forcing me to step back. I turned back to the two girls and pulled out another strip of jerky.

The two weren't too interested in talking to each other. Sarah, as she had her plans ruined, as much as my own. It was a bit of a let down we couldn't go further. July was simply not interested in talking to Sarah because she was already in her blanket. She wasn't quite asleep, but she was trying.

"Mind helping, Dragon Boy?" I looked over to Sarah, as she tried to get a fire going. But the branches she was sparking were too large and cold to ignite.

"Sure," I said, as I began to walk over. Setting down my bag, I undid my belt and released the pot. I also took out the berries we'd bought earlier. Add a strip or two of jerky, a Topo berry or two, and water over the fire... Stew. A bit plain, but still good all the same. But first we needed a fire.

I didn't have that much to burn, to be honest. Clothes and bottles could be burned to light the fire, but I'd rather not waste them. Not on something like this. Instead, I took my knife out of the sheath. Using the blade, I began to peel the bark from the branches Sarah was trying to light.

Using the bark as tinder, I took the flint and steel from Sarah and sparked them again. It was quick and and well as I could, but the fire didn't catch. I, defeated, handed the flint and steel back to Sarah. She took them and readjusted the branches and bark. With a smug glance to me, she sparked the flint.

Suddenly, smoke began to rose from the bark. In a few seconds, the wood was burning. Small, but growing quickly. Pushing some stones into the fire with a stick, I made a small stand for my small pot. Then, we would wait for the fire to grow hotter. In the mean time, I looked to July. And she was asleep.

"Is she already out of it? I guess she was serious about being able to sleep anywhere!" Sarah agreed with me, giving her a look that said, "Unbelievable" all over it. I shrugged and looked back to the fire. I poured some of my water into the pot, before taking a sip of it myself. Then, hoisting it with my stick, I put it on the fire.

Taking a few strips of jerky, I dropped them in the water before turning to the Topo berries we'd bought. I wasn't the greatest cook, I know. I could barely peel a berry anyways. Still, better to try then to just toss it in whole. As such, I used my knife to try to peel the Topo berry.

It wasn't the smoothest job. And Sarah noticed it too. Still, the skin was removed without entirely destroying the entire thing. I made sure my knife was set and I was about to slice the berry into pieces before Sarah stopped me.

"Let me take it from here. You obviously don't have much experience in the kitchen." She took the knife from me and set the Topo berry in front of her before cutting it. The knife was sharp enough to easily slice through the flesh of the berry, leaving only small bits of it. Then, she swept the diced Topo berry into the pot.

Sitting back, I waited for the contents to boil. There wasn't much use in watching it like a hawk, but I felt impatient. I wanted to do something. I looked around the alcove we had. It wasn't like it was huge, but it was large enough for us three. Seeing as there wasn't an easy way to get out, I decided to release Akuma again.

It wasn't like there was anything for me to really do, but I didn't want to do nothing. While I was at it, I released Thorn as well. While the stew boiled, I guessed the best thing for me to do was to train a bit.

Akuma looked around, sniffing the air and listening before turning to me. She began doing a running in place thing. She was impatient. And she wanted to keep going. While Thorn... Well, she was the same. She just sat there and looked at me. It was a good thing Akuma had some energy, because I was gonna train them both, hard.

"Alright, you two. Time to train. Gotta keep in shape." Giving commands to Akuma, I told her to use her bite on the few branches Yami and Sarah had collected. After she went off the break the branches, I turned to Thorn.

"Thorn. This time, let's try to work on your speed. Just... Try and run around the clearing. Okay?" Standing up, Thorn looked to be prepared to follow my commands. Until she released a cloud of Stun Spore. I backed away quickly before glaring at Thorn. "You do that again and I'll hurt you."

Calling over Akuma, I told her to translate my commands to Thorn. In turn, she growled at Thorn. She knew the small bud Pokemon was disobeying me. She began to make her Deino noises and spoke to Thorn. I guessed it was something along the lines of, "Follow the commands given to you, or else..."

"Thanks, Akuma. Now, tell Thorn to run around the clearing. All the way around. And then you can go back to biting those branches." The blind Deino turned to Thorn to tell her my orders. Before ending with a long growl. I saw the Budew was slightly scared and began her slow run around the alcove's clearing.

Once she had fulfilled my orders, Akuma began looking around for the branches so she could complete my other, my first orders. However, her inability to see made it hard to find them.

"Here," Sarah said, showing the way to the branches. Following the sound of her voice, Akuma carefully sniffed the ground before running over to her. Sarah turned to me after giving Akuma a large branch. She gave me a quick look before turning back to the fire. She must have been deep in thought, because she wasn't really doing anything other than looking at the flames.

While Thorn and Akuma trained, I guessed I should do something as well. There was only a few exercises I knew how to do without machines, but they still worked. It'd been over a year since I went to the gym anyways. Starting on a few sets of pushups and situps, I tried to complete how many I used to be able to do.

I guessed I could do as many as 100 pushups, but once I started on them, I knew that I was way out of shape. Even on situps, I couldn't do even half as many as I thought. When I dropped on my back, my breath was heavy and fast. And I could feel my heart in my ears and hands.

The sky was cloudy when I looked up. It was still cold, but I couldn't really feel it. My arms felt like lead and I felt sweat dripping down my face and neck. With a hoodie on, it felt like it was burning. I knew it was freezing, but my body temperature was hot.

Once I was able to move again, I walked over to the fire. I sat down next to Sarah and took my water bottle. In one gulp, I downed it before turning to Sarah on the other side of the fire.

"You hungry? The soup's about ready about now." Looking into the small pot, I saw a brown liquid boiling there. It seemed to be ready, so it was best to eat while hot. I nodded to Sarah before making a move to stand up.

"What're you doing," she asked.

"Don't we have another companion? She might be hungry after just walking all day. On top of that, she did fight all those Zubats. She's slept an hour, so she can wake up and eat something, before going back to sleep again. It's fine." At the mention of July, Sarah rolled her eyes. I didn't really care if July wanted some food or not, but it was best to check.

Walking over to the sleeping July, I shook her awake. Groaning, she rolled off her pillow. With cold stone under her cheek, she had no choice but to wake up. She wasn't very thrilled about waking up yet, but without a pillow, she was kinda forced to.

"Wha's your problem?" When she saw me, her tired look shifted to annoyed. Her hair was slightly messed up from her pillow, even though it had only been just over an hour. I stepped back, just in case her hand decided to make contact with my check.

"It's... Time for dinner. In case you wanted something to eat." She nodded, after a bit of a pause. She threw off her blanket and went over to her bag. With her apparently awake, I headed back to the fire. Akuma noticed me and ran over to me, sitting next to me near the fire. I pulled out Thorn's Pokeball and returned her.

Sarah had her two plate, the ones for me and her. They weren't bowls, exactly. As the name suggests. But the lip acted as a replacement for a bowl. She carefully removed some of the now soaked and expanded jerky strips with Topo chunks. It was more of boiled meat and Topo berry on the plate.

"Hey," She said, seeing July out of bed. Sarah held out her hand for the bowl July held. I noticed it was a bit small, but it was a bowl all the same.

Once July reluctantly handed it over, Sarah dumped in some of the stew into the bowl and gave it back. A bit sloppily, but still gave July the stew. She accepted the stew and sat down on the other side of the fire. Away from me and Sarah, and we weren't exactly _that_ close together.

All through dinner, July didn't even look up from her soup. She simply ate it. My own stew, it wasn't too bad. It definitely not classified as tasty. Not like my Mom's. But it wasn't that bad.

Sarah didn't really look like she disliked the Stew. But nothing said she liked it. She occasionally glanced at me, but avoided looking at July. It was kinda uncomfortable, eating dinner together. And it wasn't about to get better either.

Once we were finished with dinner, Akuma was patiently waiting for her portion. I knew Thorn could survive off of the sunlight, so she wouldn't need food. Taking a bit of Jerky out of my bag, I gave it to Akuma. She sniffed it before biting into it, nearly getting my fingers. Good thing my reflexes worked well.

"Here," Sarah said, holding out her hand. "I'll clean your plate." Hesitant, I assumed there to be an ulterior motive, but not having to do dishes was fine with me. July was still eating her soup, but she still glanced up at me and Sarah. Once she realized I'd noticed, she turned back to eating.

Akuma rubbed against my leg as I stood up. With the pot off the fire, it'd cooled down to be just a fairly warm temperature. Taking it with bare hands, I dumped the browned water off the edge of our alcove. Looking up to the Sky, I saw the clouds turning a bright red.

With everyone finishing up their meals, there wasn't much to do. Akuma had trained a bit. Thorn probably wouldn't enjoy being out of sunlight, but I wasn't sure. But she'd already trained, too. I could try to talk to Sarah and July, but I wasn't sure how to anymore. Well, for July, I never really did.

Besides, July returned to her bedding and fell asleep. There wasn't much use in talking to someone who's sleeping. Either, one, July beats me. Or, two, July just stays unconscious. For both outcomes, either wasn't very good.

In the end, I just settled on setting up my bedding. The large blue blanket wasn't very comfortable on the stone beneath it, but it was better than flat out stone. Sitting down on it, I felt the hard ground below me. I opened my PokeDex as Akuma came over and laid down next to me. My hand was forcibly laid on her head.

Greedy Deino...

Though it was still bright in the sky, the area was still getting darker. Looking at my PokeDex, I didn't really know what I was doing. There was no internet up here, no service, so I didn't really know what to do.

I did have a game or two on my Dex, but only a few documents. I could read through them, edit some, or just start writing, but nothing really interested me. As such, I just laid back and rubbed Akuma's fur. I took off my sweatshirt as to not I used some of the blanket as a pillow and tried to warm myself up by wrapping the blanket around me.

Slowly, even though I just scrolling through things on my PokeDex, I felt myself begin to fall asleep. Once I noticed I was falling to sleep, I didn't care. And soon, I was already gone into the depths of slumber...

.

A sharp kick to my side woke me up. I could easily tell it was a kick because it definitely a kick because there was a boot behind the kick. Rolling over, I held my gut as I tried to regain my breath.

"It's about time you got up. I've been waiting for hours." July's voice was impatient and kinda annoyed. Glancing over, I saw her glaring at me. Reaching over to Akuma, I put my hand on her head as I began to breathe again. "C'mon! Get outta bed! Let's get going!"

Just how long had she been up? She said hours, saying she woke up in the darkness. I rubbed my eyes and yawned. Lifting her head, Akuma nudged my arm. Glancing around, I saw the sun barely rising over the ridge. Shivering, I grabbed my sweatshirt and slipped it on.

Seeing that I was getting up, July turned to the tent Sarah had set up after I fell asleep. Akuma was still sleepy, but she was waking up quickly. Looking over, I found a familiar and empty package near her. It was the Spoink Jerky. And she'd eaten it all. With a glare, I looked at Akuma before remembering she couldn't see it.

Crumpling up the package, I tossed the trash into my bag. Yawning again, I stood and shivered. My sweatshirt wasn't too effective with temperatures as cold as these. If it snowed, I wouldn't be surprised. But if it rained, that would suck. With the sky being grey, as I looked up, it might not be too unexpected.

Looking over, I saw July trying to knock on the tent. Nicer than when she tried to wake me up. I rubbed my ribs where she'd kicked me. A bruise would most likely form there.

Poking around in my bag, I found a new package of jerky. I popped it open and took a piece of Miltank jerky out. It was different than Spoink jerky, but was tasty enough. Akuma wandered over to me and sniffed at the new bag of jerky. Holding it away from her, she tried to climb up me to get to it.

"No, Akuma! This isn't for you. You've obviously already had yours. Now, down!" Sulking, Akuma dropped down from me and went back to my blanket. Laying down, she waited there.

Hearing a crash, I looked over to Sarah's tent. I saw it as a collapsed mass of fabric. I guessed Sarah would not be happy. July, on the other hand, smirked. The movement under the tent told me Sarah was waking up. I don't think anyone could sleep through having a tent dropped on you.

"Wha... What's going on?" Sarah spoke out in an obviously tired tone. She would no doubt be angry once she knew it was July behind it. It was best to clean up, rather than being associated with July's prank. Besides, I needed to clean up my bedding, too.

"C'mon. Get up. We need to get going. I've been waiting for you to get up for hours." The shifting in the tent stopped for a moment before Sarah emerged from under it.

"You didn't have to just drop the entire tent on me, you know." She rubbed her eyes as I pushed Akuma off the blanket. She was disappointed that I wasn't paying attention to her. I looked back to July and Sarah again, but they just glared at each other. I folded up the blanket and laid it over my bag.

"Alright! Alright! I'm getting up! Just lay off, okay?" Sarah reached into her tent and pulled out Perry and her bag. He rubbed his ears and whiskers. She patted him on the head and he ran up her arm to her hair. It was quite cute, with Perry sitting on her head. I gave a small smile, but it was minimal.

With everything with me, I had everything I owned in my bag. Or, on my bag. The only thing holding us back was Sarah and July. Looking over to the latter's area, she had yet to clean up her blanket and pillow. Sarah... Her tent was still on the ground. She was hardly ready to go, either.

July backed off once Sarah got up, returning to her own stuff. She began to pack up her belongings. I sat down next to Akuma, who immediately perked up once she noticed me. I ruffled her fur and petted her head, messing up her horn. I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

Judging by how low the sun was, it was still pretty early. And my PokeDex confirmed the time. I never liked waking up early, but after I started on my journey, it seemed I was waking up later and later. Now that July forced us to wake up, it was hard to wake up at 8.

I watched Sarah and July pack up their things as I rubbed Akuma's fur. I yawned again.

"Don't you dare fall asleep! I plan to leave as soon as possible!" July kicked my foot and shook me back awake. I snapped up and looked at her. I didn't realize I was falling asleep. Just how long was I sleeping? Looking to Sarah's site, her tent was mostly packed and she was folding it up.

Standing up, I stretched and Akuma reared up on two legs, before dropping down to run in place. She was awake, it seems. Unlike me. Ugh. It was so early.

"C'mon, Sarah. Hurry it up! And you, Stupid! Don't even think about falling back to sleep. We're leaving in a few minutes, and I'm not waking you up again." Groaning, I opened my eyes wider. Falling asleep again would most likely hurt me again. Say, another bruise?

Sarah mumbled stuff as she put her tent back in her pack. Once she had everything put away, she hoisted the giant bag onto her shoulders. With her ready to go, we were all ready. On July's orders, I called to Akuma and we set off.

With the rope we'd used to get down yesterday, we were able to climb out of the alcove. July went up first, then Sarah, and me last. I had to recall Akuma before going up, seeing as she couldn't climb cliffs of rope. I let her out again once I reached the top of the ridge.

"Looks the same as yesterday. Just how are we going to find the next entrance? It's impossible."

"Well it doesn't help to doubt either, Sarah," I said. I couldn't give up hope yet. As the Champion, I couldn't just give up. I had to keep going! Or else I could never be the next Champion.

July just shrugged and followed as I continues up the path we'd left yesterday. Sarah followed too, but she was a little ticked off. It's not like I didn't like her or care for her opinions. It's just that her opinion happened to suck.

The path curved more as we climbed it, turning us away from the submit. Akuma wanted to keep climbing up, but I forced her to follow us. We continued down the path around the mountain, but not much was really interesting. It was all rocks and more rocks. Not much else.

"Wait, what's that up ahead?" I looked up and saw something up ahead. It looked to be an outcropping of rock, but it looked a bit... out of place, even as rock. That must be it! The next enterence!

"Good eye, July! That must be it!" Beginning to run, I rushed towards the rocks. Akuma followed me, careful to follow in my footsteps. She didn't seem to know the way, but she relied on me to show her. It was a sign she was closely dependent on me. Which, I guess was a good thing. She was still young and looked to me as a parent.

Once we reached the outcropping, I saw it was the entrance. The gaping hole also carried a sign over the opening. It said, "Path 3". I'm not entirely sure what other paths there were, but this was obviously the way. Coming up behind me, the two girls stopped in front of the cave.

"So this _was_ the way," Sarah said.

"Do I get an apology," I asked. She did doubt me. The least she could do was say she was sorry.

"For what? I didn't do anything." What?!

"You- But what about earlier? You said we'd already passed the entrance! And argued with me! So, I deserve an apology!"

"Huh... Did I? Well, I guess I'm sorry. Now let's go." Sarah walked into the cave and I looked to July. But she simply tossed her hair and smirked, going into the cave. Seems like only Akuma was on my side... Looking down, Akuma had already ran into the cave. So, I was the only one on my side.

Pulling out my flashlight, I walked into the Gate again.

.

We walked in the dark for hours. It was just like before, like yesterday. Just a tunnel of stone for kilometers. Not to mention Sarah and July not talking to me. Actually, not at all. Neither of them seemed interested in talking to me or each other. Still, there was an excuse that every whisper sounded like regular speech.

The deeper we went, the warmer it was. Not like it was burning like the depths of Hell, but it was warmer than outside. It was probably from the geothermal heat from the rocks.

With Perry's glow and my flashlight, it was easy enough to see. We traveled for almost three hours in the darkness and we only saw grey and brown. The stone was quite boring. Akuma seemed to like it well enough, but it was pretty boring once you saw it. Just a long straight tunnel.

Of course, as soon as I thought that, the path came to a crossroads. The path splint, making 3 separate tunnels. Was that what the Path 3 name meant? Or was it instructions?

"Which one should we choose," July asked, stepping up. All three of the paths looked exactly the same, so it was hard to see which one was the right one.

"I vote to choose number 3. The sign outside _did_ say Path 3. Maybe we should just go with it?" It was the best idea I could come up with, but at least it was reasonable.

"Uh... Oh, screw it. If it isn't the exit, we could just turn back. Fine, we'll pick tunnel number 3. Just remember that it's your fault if we get lost." July walked towards the third tunnel, the one on the right. I scratched my head and shone my light down the tunnel as I followed. Behind me, Sarah was following as well.

"Wait, what's that noise?" I listened and waited, a sound of something pounding against the ground, coming closer. Hearing it, Akuma moved up to the front of the party. Being the man of the party, I decided to move to the front along side my Pokemon.

The sounds moved closer and closer, growing louder and louder as did. Akuma growled and pawed the ground. It was probably a Pokemon that was coming, so I had to be careful. Whatever was making the noise was still obviously out of range of my flashlight. That must mean it was at least the size of the tunnel!

"What's making that noise?" Sarah crept up behind me and peeked over my shoulder. My flashlight wasn't strong enough to show the Pokemon approaching, but it obviously saw us. The sounds stopped suddenly.

"Where'd it go? What's it doing?" Sarah started looking around.

"How should I know," I responded. I looked around too, only noticing July leaning against cave's wall. She obviously didn't care about the approaching Pokemon. Glancing back to the now missing Pokemon, I was expecting it to jump out of the darkness. "Looks like it got scared, I guess."

It's not like I was sure about it, but maybe the Pokemon wasn't gone? Looking back to July and Sarah, I took a cautious step. When nothing happened, we continued into the tunnel. It was silent as we walked into the tunnel.

Suddenly, the ground underneath Akuma broke open and she fell into a hole. As she fell, she struggled to find ground. Without any sight, feeling the ground was everything to her. Jumping out from the ceiling, a Geodude landed just outside the hole. So, this small thing was the source of the noises?

"That little thing was getting us so worried? What's so tough about it?" July tossed a pebble at the small Geodude as she scoffed at it. Which wasn't the right move. Geodude were way denser than normal stone, as well as stronger than a muscle man. Getting hit by one would not feel nice. But that didn't mean it wouldn't be a bad thing. After all, I did have a few Pokeballs with me.

Reaching into the hole, I grabbed Akuma's forelegs and quickly pulled her out. She was slightly spooked by the sudden fall, but she allowed me to hoist her up. I turned to the Geodude with Akuma, just in time for it to start moving toward us with loud thumps. It;s spherical body left cracks in the stone below it as it made it's way around the hole it'd made.

"Alright, Akuma. This time we're gonna give it payback. Attack it!" The slow rock was hardly fast enough to keep up with Akuma as she ran over to Geodude. As it tried to spin around to face my Dragon, Akuma smashed her head into the rock. It's hard surface repelled her, but Geodude was also forced back. Not far, but some. Shaking her head, she recovered and faced the Geodude.

"Use Dragon's Rage on it!" Obeying, she began gathering energy and aimed it carefully at the stomping Geodude. With how loud it was, it was hard to miss. Of course, the rock also had a strategy of it's own. Using it's hardened fists, it punched her in the chest. That sent the ball of energy into the wall, cratering it, but nothing else.

I sighed in relief, because the dangers of cave-ins was something else to be afraid of. I turned back to Akuma as she bared her fangs against Geodude. She tried to bite into the living stone, but it's hard body nearly broke her teeth. It forced her to back off and charge at it.

Using her body, she slammed into the rock and rolled it into the rock wall. It seemed to have some effect, but the Geodude was tougher than I anticipated. This would take longer than I thought it would...

"Get some distance from it, then use your Dragon's Rage on it," I said, loud, but trying to keep it quiet. The echoing was annoying, and even deafening if I shouted, as I was previously. I took a deep breathe and focused my flashlight on the fighting Pokemon.

Backing up towards me, Akuma began gathering the draconic energy in her maw. It glowed bright blue as the grey rock Pokemon got closer. When it was a meter from Akuma, hurrying to reach her in time, she released the energy she held. The ball of Rage smashed into the boulder and I reached into my bag for one of my pokeballs.

To keep it in place, probably unintentionally, Akuma tried to bite it again. As she picked it up, I clicked the button on the ball and enlarged it. The feeling of the smooth apricorn shell running against my skin was still exhilarating. Gripping it tightly, I pulled my arm back and threw the Pokeball.

The smooth and shiny Pokeball smacked into the solid rock Pokemon. In a bright flash of light, the Geodude disappeared. Going around the hole, I quickly looked at the red and green circle there. It was about half way between the two, but green was still overtaking the red.

Then it was gone. The Geodude was caught.

Picking up the Pokeball, I shrunk it down and stored it in my bag. Akuma walked over to me and laid down at my feet, breathing heavily. That fight had hurt her more than usual, but she still looked up at me. I guessed she would still do as I asked, until she dropped.

Sighing, I pulled out her Pokeball and returned her too. She disappeared too, just like the Geodude in my bag. I smirked as I put her next to the other two Pokemon I owned. Looking back, I saw Sarah and July covering their ears. July had her eyes closed, but Sarah just waited for me to stop talking.

"You done," she asked. "Because if you are, let's go. I feel like the entire tunnel is ringing." Picking up her bag from the ground, she slammed her fist against the wall. Feeling it, July opened her eyes. Looking around, she put down her hands and uncovered her ears.

"'Bout time, isn't it? Took you long enough." She adjusted her bag and followed Sarah. Perry looked at me, July, and Sarah below him. His fur still glowed orange, giving the two girls light. My own flashlight was bright enough to light up the entire tunnel, but it was only enough for me.

We continued to walk down the third tunnel for a ways. Just stone, more stone, and even more stone. It was silent the entire time we walked. No Pokemon, no other humans, and even our echos began to get quieter. But the smooth stone walls became more rough. Ridged.

It was almost an entire hour before we reached anything. And at anything, I don't mean the next exit. And it also caused July to be upset.

The end of the third path ended up at an underground lake. The sound of dripping water began to echo down the tunnel and my flashlight started to reflect back. It was the water. At first, I assumed it was something just along the way. I was also getting a bit thirsty, so it wasn't too bad to rush forward.

But as soon as we entered, July instantly reacted. There was no exit from this cavern. My flashlight and Perry lit up the entire lake, due to water bouncing the light around. And once July got a good look around, she glared at me.

"You idiot!" The word 'idiot' echoed around the lake and made me flinch. "You lead us to a dead end! Now, you Bidoof! We've lost several _hours_ of walking, all because of you!" Walking up behind me, July smacked me on the back of my head. This time it was more of a punch, though. Because it really hurt.

"Geez, it's not like I have a map of the place. No one make one. I think it might be illegal, to be honest." I rubbed my head and looked back at July, but she was already marching back into the tunnel, but she suddenly stopped. Glaring back at me, she headed towards the lake anyways.

"She's probably getting a drink to wait for us. She can't see in the pitch dark, so it's kinda pointless to go without us." Sarah's remarks on July seemed to be reasonable, but judging by July's clothing, she could probably see in the dark just fine. Still, no use waiting around. I'd rather have a drink than wait.

Going to the lake, I took out my bottle and dipped it into the water. I filled it and took a drink of it. It tasted a bit like earth, but it also felt fresh. Kinda pure. I refilled it and capped it. I put it in my bag before I felt Akuma's and Thorn's Pokeballs. I did think of my Geodude, but I doubt it'd enjoy being doused in water.

Before I did take them out, I pulled back my sweatshirt's sleeve to check my bandage. The Zubat poison had acted as a numbing drug. It wasn't that strong, but the bite was what I really worried about. Infection and disease would really be something more dangerous than the Pokemon itself. After I ran water over it and dried it off, I rebandaged it and pulled out my Pokemon.

I released Akuma first, being slightly bias. She looked around at the lake's shore, sniffing and listening to her surroundings. Once she realized she was at lake, she willingly jumped into the lake. Once she was in the water, I let Thorn out of her ball as well. She simply sat there, her bud tightly closed. Probably because there was no sun to feed her.

Still, she waddled to the water and dropped into it. Just an inch or two were actually submerged, but it was enough for her to absorb it. Akuma also got a drink, hydrating herself. With a swim, she'd be cleaned as well. It seemed she did enjoy her baths now.

Sarah also took a drink, same as me. She looked a bit dehydrated, so it would probably do us all some good to drink.

Looking back to my Deino, I saw she'd found a small meal. With a bright orange Magikarp in her jaw, she tried to bite into the hard scales of the Magikarp, but the bone of the Magikarp is too large. There was hardly any meat on the fish. Which explained why it was so weak.

Ugh. I guess the entire gate didn't hold a single good meal at all...

.

We spent only a few more minutes at the lake. Mainly due to July's impatience, but also because we didn't really want to capture any of the Magikarp here. Not like I had the patience to train the thing into a mighty Gyarados anyways. Without any purpose with the underground lake, Sarah and I followed July.

The girl in question was quite impatient. She bugged me at the first moment she could, pestering me to hurry it up and called me names. To be honest, it was making it less appealing, abandoning the water. But it's not like I didn't have some place to be as well. Sarah hated to hear July whine, so I was pretty much dragged along anyways.

Going back down the third tunnel, we walked for over an hour. I quickly noticed that it was, with my own vision range shortened, we were now heading upwards. It took longer to reach the hole my Geodude made. Akuma sniffed around it, but July didn't really give her a chance.

Soon enough, due to July's pace, we reached the crossroads. It was still about an hour's journey, but it was faster than when we went down it the first time. It might have been because of when I caught my Geodude, but the time was still quicker.

It also left me breathing heavily. When we entered the room with three separate paths, I was forced to sit down at the mouth of the cave and drink my fresh bottle of water. Akuma didn't have much problem with it, but she didn't really have to deal with it like a Human. She was a Pokemon, built for battle.

"Oh, c'mon you two! We can't stop now. We've barely been walking at all! You can't all be exhausted, can you!?" I looked to Sarah, but she was also taking a drink from her bottle of water. Perry was excited, but that's because he didn't really do anything other than glow.

"How are you so dull of energy? I feel like you're some sort of marathon runner or something!" Sarah tossed her bottle back and forth. Picking myself up, I agreed with Sarah. How was July able to keep going like this?

"It's not my fault you guys are weak! I'm just more conditioned for this than you two! It's obvious we live differently!" For a moment, July looked angry, but something crossed her face and she turned away. I guessed she said something she didn't mean to, but I couldn't figure out what.

"What? Just because we're different doesn't mean you have to get your panties in a twist. Just calm down. We're all going to the same place, so just let us rest up a bit and then we'll be back on track! Just sit on it!" When I slammed my fist on the wall, I realized that I might have taken it a step too far.

"Fine. Five minutes. That's all you guys get." Stomping away, July agreed to let us rest. I sighed and glanced towards Sarah. She nodded towards me, and I guessed it was a thanks. I leaned back against the cave wall I'd hit and rubbed Akuma's fur when she jumped up to me.

In the time we had to rest, I thought of the moment July slipped. She must have a past she didn't want revealed. I didn't blame her, as most teenagers had a past secret or two. I had one or two of my own, after all...

"Hey! Time's up! Let's get moving!" Snapping up, I groaned that the break was already over. Still, deal was a deal. I pushed myself off the wall and followed July and Sarah, heading into the first tunnel. This time, it was a gut feeling that this was the right path.

.

Every kilometer we spent inside the pathway, I felt the air get tense due to July's increasing pace. By the time she was ready to stop, we were basically running down the tunnels. It was a good thing we stopped, because my breath was heavy and sweat was running down my face.

The crossroads we met with wasn't the only one. I'd forgotten they'd called it a labyrinth in here. It literally was. Some paths lead around in circles, to another false fork in the road, or to dead ends. Like a wall or few Zubat.

We battled a few Diglett and a Sandshrew, along with a Zubat or two we disturbed. They were easy to deal with when they were one or two attacking us. Since July refused to reveal her Pokemon, Sarah and I were forced to protect her. Akuma and Thorn had their share of battles, along with Yami and Perry.

Due to the multiple paths we'd taken, most of them wrong, we'd only traveled through three correct paths. It frustrated July, that much I could see. It also explained why my chest and legs burned. But once she said she was ready to sleep, my PokeDex told me it was already four in the afternoon.

I almost dropped right there, when July gave us the signal to stop. She'd been leading us, but held back to stay in the light. Though Sarah sat down like me, July still stood strong. I saw her breath was heavier than before. 'Bout time she broke.

"Is she trying to kill us? And when exactly did she take control of our pace?" Sarah crawled over to me and leaned against the wall with me. "I mean, how can she just brush off the past hour of running with a bit of sweat and being out of breath? I can barely move anymore!"

"Yeah, my legs feel like lead. I don't think they'll be too happy with me in the morning. At least Akuma's alright." The dragon in question was lying by my side, panting burning hot air. It felt like it was burning my leg, but I didn't have the motivation to move her.

July easily set up her camp and bed, just setting down her bag and blanket. Her pillow on top and a few bits around it. I don't know what they were, and it's not like I felt like asking. Besides, after she got into her bed, she ordered us to be quite. I wondered why she was falling asleep now, but she did say she woke up earlier than us and we had been running.

Still, the most she could have been awake for was ten... maybe twelve hours. It was only four in the afternoon, so I didn't feel close to sleeping, but I was still tired. And burning because I was still wearing my sweatshirt. Now that we were resting, I had time to take it off.

"How long do you think we'll be in here? If we have to work with July, I guess it'll take a week." Sarah took a long drink from her water bottle. I followed her example and took a drink as well.

"Maybe half a week is my bet. But it could last a week. The forums say this place is a labyrinth. But it won't be too bad, if you ask me. My Pokemon could use a bit of fighting experience." Akuma, Thorn, and my new Geodude probably didn't have the most experience, probably about equal between them. The amount isn't that great, considering we're going up against the Gym soon.

"Could you give me a piece of jerky?" Together, we sat there chewing on jerky until July stopped shooting evil stares at us and fell asleep. We still whispered, Sarah and I, around our jerky and Akuma nudged my hand for some as well. It was hard to tell her no, so she got a few strips as well.

Talking with Sarah was easy enough, because she held a few of the same interests as me. She liked her Pokemon, wanted to battle, and liked meats. Not as much meat as me, but she commented on what she liked. We also talked about cooking a bit. Not that we could do it now, being in the Gate. Smoke in confined space... Not good.

Her battles back in Snowpoint, they weren't that great from her point of view. Battles against the older kids' Pokemon with her started had given her experience, but only in defeat. It also helped bond her to her Pokemon, even if they were both losers.

After discussing one thing, and another, the topic of training came up. I tried to pry out her training program, but she revealed she only trained in speed, agility, and skill. No power or strength, really. But it did explain Yami and Perry's speed.

And with July asleep, we could train ourselves. Develop new ways of training, do a few exercises. Anything as long as she wasn't disturbed. Deciding on it, we agreed to go a ways away from the sleeping party member, and take out our five Pokeballs.

.

The time we spent away from the camp gave me enough time to get to know my Geodude. I decided on the name 'Stein', which meant Stone. It definitely was a name, for a living rock. Just saying it felt fitting.

Stein couldn't understand me right off the bat, but luckily I had Akuma with me to translate. She didn't exactly intimidate him, but since she beat him, she held some control over him. It made training him a bit easier, similar to training Thorn.

Speaking of which, Thorn began to obey me once Stein was in near. I guessed that she wanted to look as impressive and trained as possible, in an effort to help. Until I had to recall my Geodude in fear of him causing a cave in. Thorn immediately stopped training and dropped down to the ground. She also stopped obeying me.

Sarah trained with Akuma and Yami, trying to increase their speed. Akuma had a difficult time keeping up with Yami, who easily sped past her. Perry also exercised, but by zipping around in zigzags. It was pretty impressive on how fast he could move around, too.

I was left to work with Stein, occasionally using Akuma's translation skill. The movable rock's strength was pretty impressive. Just punching a wall left a small crater and a pile of rocks. Of course, when the punches threatened to kill you, it becomes pretty scary. Which was why I recalled him.

Thorn's performance was nice, using her Razor sharp Leaves. She used the blades to make a combo with Water Sport to weaken rock and ground Pokemon. It was something Sarah suggested and, as I saw it, one of my first strategy. Before this point, I'd said Attack and MOAR ATTACK! Not much else...

But the entire training session lasted until just past six. It was surprising at how fast the time passed during training. And it was crazy how much we did. Of course, we tried to be quiet, but bashing fists against a wall isn't the most silent thing we could have done.

When my Pokemon started to be come tired, Sarah decided to call it. I quickly pointed the lasers and recalled all three of my Pokemon while Sarah returned hers.

We joked about as we returned to July, trying to whisper. Laughing was withheld, but it was really hard at times. Pokepuns are sometimes hard not to laugh at.

Once we returned to the campsite, July glared at us from her bedding. I realized the echos could reach her quite easily, making it seem like we were closer. She chewed us out for a few minutes before letting us go, intimidating for her short height. But once she was done with us, she dropped down onto her pillow and bundled up.

Sarah and I looked at each other before nearly laughing. Of course, with July still awake, I didn't dare make a noise. Quiet, almost mockingly quiet, we crept over to our bags, which we'd left behind, and rolled out our bedding. Sarah couldn't set up her tent, so she simply set down a blanket and pillow. Just like the rest of us.

But rather than go to sleep, we basically just ate jerky and wrote down strategies and plans. Today's training taught me that use of combos and battle plans was much more effective than just attacking head on.

With my Deino, Akuma, I knew that she had a long ways to go. Budew, Thorn, when they evolve for a trainer, they show the bond between them. And then a Geodude, Stein, could be used as a hard-hitting wall. Their defense was meant to be as hard as steel once it evolved.

In all, there was Attack, Defense, and Friendship. Once they developed, my team could have some strength. I just hoped I could do it right. There wasn't time to go back and do it all again. Not until I was Champion.

After a few hours of brainstorming, I announced I was going to sleep and crawled into the depths of my blanket. It only took a few minutes of trying, but soon I felt my sleep overtaking me. Not long after, I was dreaming of sunshine and flying...

.

The next morning was same as the morning before. Rude awakening by July, eating, and getting back on our way. Not much else. Sarah was a bit more docile to July, being woken up easier than me. Still, once July said it was time to go, it was time to go. No arguing, but it's not like I tried.

It only took a few minutes to clean up today. Even with stiff legs and back, it's not like there was much to clean. But once we were ready, we started back on the road. Slow, but as quick as we could manage.

Sarah tried to talk to me a few times, but I didn't really know how to carry on with subjects like makeup and styles. All I knew was stuff like fighting and traveling. And since July and her didn't get along so well, I was really her only person to talk to. Actually, I realized, this was the first time she talked about makeup... Strange.

The Gate continued for several long kilometers. We made good headway, considering our condition.

"Hello," A voice called out, from the darkness. It scared me and made me stop in my tracks. "Is anyone there?"

"Yeah? Who are you?" Coming out of the shadows, a boy stepped out and revealed himself. His blonde hair fell over his face and hid his eyes. It reminded me of the Deino currently growling. My hand on her neck kept her under control.

"H-hey there. My name is Gerad. That Pokemon isn't going to bite me, is it?" The kid was nervous of Akuma, but since she was in the custody of three trainers, it must be safe...

"She's just wary around strangers. She's safe most of the time and is pretty young. I would be careful for now, though." The kid nodded and stepped more towards July.

"Which one of you wants a battle? My Pokemon need some exercise..." He looked around at us, before looking to Sarah. "How about you, miss? You wanna battle?"

"Why not? Not like we're in a hurry." She smirked smugly at July, intentionally pissing her off. Sarah took out her dusk ball from her bag, but sent out Perry from her shoulder. "Let's go."

She sent out the Orange Dedene as Gerad let out a green serpentine Pokemon. It's leafy tail and elegance showed it's high living style. It was a Servine. Not the best match up.

Still, Sarah didn't show much intention to switch out. As such, Perry would face off against a Grass type. This wasn't the best option, because Yami had the upper hand against a Servine.

"Perry! Thunderbolt! Then evade it's attacks!" The small Dedene scurried around, charging up energy. The Servine had a hard time keeping up. Once close enough though, Perry unleashed a large bolt of electricity. It flowed over the targeted Servine and it convulsed slightly.

It had some effect!

But not enough to do real damage. A leafy tail smacked into the small rodent, sending him to the side of the cave. It was like there was no damage done to it. I gasped at how easily the Servine knocked Perry around. Just how experienced was it, being able to resist that Lightning attack?

"Well, this might be easier than I thought. Solaris, let's show them what we mean by business." Releasing a set of vines, the Servine lifted Perry off the ground while he tried to recover. As the vines wrapped around him, a green glow enveloped him and was drawn back to... Solaris, was it?

"Perry! Use your Thunderbolt and escape!" The time it took to charge up the attack, and the green aura around him drained his energy. But once it was ready, the attack surged through the vines back to their owner. It looked like he shocked it, but the vines around Perry didn't loosen.

"That's right, Solaris. Keep a good hold on it and keep taking energy!" The kid, Gerad, looked confident as his smirk grew wider. Was he getting cocky, or was he just confident? I guessed he wasn't just some kid traveling to Oreburgh.

"C'mon, Perry! Try to get out of there!" Wriggling around, the small Dedene inched out of the vines holding him. The Servine tried to adjust it's grip, but Perry escaped before it could. He jumped through the air and landed a bit away. He stood there, but he couldn't fight anymore. His small body was breathing quickly.

"Use your vines and play with the small Rattata of a Dedene." The planty tentacles reached out to Perry and grabbed him by the body. Once he was in the air, the vines began to batter the small thing back and forth. He sqeaked and shrieked for several seconds, but then went silent. Knocked out midair.

"Perry!" Pulling out his Pokeball, Sarah called him back. The thrashing of vines stopped and returned back to Solaris. Round one was a loss. Pulling out her Dusk ball, Sarah prepared for another battle.

"In for another one? Okay, I'm open." Yami appeared and instantly attacked Solaris. A flurry of claws were unleashed. "Wow. That's one feisty Pokemon there. Alright, Solaris! Use Leaf Tornado!" A flurry of movements and whips of it's vines, Solaris released a pile of leaves and created a false air current. The leaves swarmed over Yami, but he simply cut his way through at high speed.

Once out of the storm, Yami encased his claws in something similar to icicles and slashed them against the Servine. They easily cut through the weaker plant body. The coldness of it spread through it's body, showing as blackness. Almost like frostbite was spreading through it.

"Solaris! Get away from it!" Gerad tried to get his Servine out of the way, but Yami's speeding claws had already passed through it's body. And the blackness stopped once they left.

Recovering quickly, the Servine attempted to keep up with Yami as he jumped and dodged any and all attacks. The claws he used were still steaming and covered in ice. It looked like he'd simply charge in and jump the Servine. But instead he stopped. The Servine tried to take advantage of the pause.

Suddenly, a cold white mist enveloped Yami, almost pouring out of his skin. Before it enveloped the Servine and stopped it dead. Not actually dead, but it tried to escape the moment it touched it. It was cold enough to bring the temperature of the tunnel a few degrees. I could only imagine how cold the mist was.

Using a Pokeball Gerad was the one to recall his Pokemon. But he immediately switched out with another Pokemon. A Fletchinder screeched as it spread heat back into the air.

Good strategy. He had a fire type ready to take out an ice type Pokemon.

Even though the Fletchinder was obviously slower right from the beginning, it's very body presented an issue. Flames already jumped out of it's feathers.

And Yami had a fear of getting close to it. From the first attacks, he tried to take advantage of moves I didn't know he had. He sent out a blast of wind from his breath, carrying snowflakes. Another was throwing an icicle that formed on his claw. I'd never seen these techniques used, but Sarah ordered them off in quick succession.

The opposing Fletchinder had no problem breathing flames out in front of it, enveloping itself in fire. The heat protected it from the attacks and quickly retaliated with a dive bomb into Yami when he was standing still. The very force of it was enough to send him across the tunnel and lay on the ground unconscious.

"Ha! No sweat at all. You pre-gym kids are just too weak. You won't make it very far. My Solaris and Ariel both have the type advantage moves on ground and rock, with grass and steel types. You've only got ice. And you, kid," Gerad said, pointing to me. " You've only got that Deino. You said yourself it isn't that strong. If it's newly hatched, you've got no chance in hell of beating Roderick." Roderick... the Oreburgh gym leader?

"So you've already beaten the first gym and expected us to beat you?"

"She agreed and lost. Speaking of which, pay up." He held out his hand and waited for Sarah to hand him a giant stack of cash. When she only put a fifty Poke dollar bill in his hand, he waited and expected more.

"What? That's all I have. Rules are I pay what I have. All I have is a fifty. Now buzz off. You're starting to annoy me." Gerad looked at us before openly laughing, to which July glared at him for. She already didn't like the kid to begin with, so it came as no surprise when she was practically growling at the kid, grating her teeth together.

"C'mon. Don't you wanna know how I got this baby?" Gerad pulled out a small metal pin. His badge. "This Coal Badge was quite the effort to get. Wanna hear the story?" He crept closer to Sarah, trying to pick her up. What a sleazebag.

"Bro, back off. She's not interested. If we want to see your battle, we'll watch it on LeagueLive TV. Now get out of here. Before she tears you to pieces." My thumb pointed back towards July. Anyone, especially a guy, could tell she was pissed as hell. To see this guy try to pick her up, he was a fool. Without any Pokemon, he'd be pawned.

"Sorry, man. I didn't know she was already taken. I'll leave you two to it then. I guess this is our time to part ways. Miss, what's your name? If this guy is any trouble, I'll be watching your battles and make sure to save you." The kid tried to kiss her knuckles, but she almost punched him in the lips, smacking him with her knuckles.

"Yeah, sure. As soon as you lose to me, I'll be sure to make you my servant. Then you can come back for me." Sarah smirked, using words against Gerad, making him angry with her. I guessed since he won his Coal Badge, girls never resisted him. But the more likely story was every girl he tried to pick up wasn't a Pokemon Trainer.

Gathering himself, Gerad bowed his goodbye to Sarah before heading back through the Gate. July basically gasped in relief when he left. I glanced towards her and made an exasperated motion, seconding her opinion of him. Since I learned he only was interested in hooking up with Sarah, my opinion of him instantly dropped.

"Let's get going. We've wasted enough time here. We need to keep a good pace." For the time being, Sarah and July held similar views. The fact that some kid tried to hit on her after beating her and tried to brag on something so minor was something Sarah hated. As such, the two girls almost left me behind.

.

The next four days passed mostly the same. Some days we saw daylight through some vents, others we were in complete darkness. Each morning was an early morning wake up call from July, who kept us all in schedule. Quite forcefully. At least the bruises looked cool. Underneath my shirt...

After going through several tunnels, making a dozen wrong turns, fighting several Pokemon like Dwebble, Diglett, Zubat, and Geodude. It gave us several opportunities to train and strengthen our Pokemon, but July still refused to use her Pokemon. This made combat for her difficult. I lent her my knife to use as a weapon while we battled and trained. Or, our Pokemon did. Akuma showed some growth in her skills and was able use Headbutt and began to spit out small blue flames. The start of a new move.

The time it took to make it outside of the labyrinth of caves was longer than any of us actually expected, but it was still quick for anyone taking their sweet time. We almost ran through it, to be honest. Sarah's pace slowed over the course of the four days while July forced us to keep up.

Once we walked out of the darkness, I had to hold my arm over my face. Light was blinding after being in the dark. The cold air had forced me to put on my hat and hoodie, and I even wanted a coat. The chill in the air was colder than when we went in, no doubts. But I smiled as we stepped out into the eastern part of Sinnoh. We'd passed the second test and we'd made it.

We were still in the mountains, but we'd made it. I looked to Sarah and July, before almost cheering. I had to squint, but I could tell Sarah was also relieved we'd made it. July... Maybe not so much cheering, but she looked better and happier than before.

Now, it was time to advance to the third challenge, the next test. Even though we were required to pass it in 3 months, I wanted to beat the first Gym asap. Starting down the mountain, we prepared ourselves to return to normal human society.

* * *

 **Yeah, this wasn't the most productive three weeks...**

 **Every day I decided to write 1k words or more, making it easy to complete a chapter in about a week or two. In reality, I wrote about 1k every 2 or 3 days. Why do I suck so badly?**

 **I don't know if this chapter was very good because it was written over the course of several weeks. Again, sorry for it being late. I write about it at every point I can, like in school, but the details are hard to make when I can't see the rest of the story. Anyways, hope you enjoyed!**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

Stein - Geodude

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel

 **Trainer: July Caspin; SI2033JL46U**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Unknown


	7. Losses

**Alright! Let's go! Gotta write. Someone remind me weekly to get my ass in motion. Seriously, I need someone telling me what to do sometimes. Kinda weak in that department...**

 **Anyways, it's nice that everyone's been supporting my story. It'd be helpful if everyone shares it with someone. Like, online in forums or in groups. Or send the link to a friend. You don't have to, but it would help. Next thing I need to do is put ads on this... lol**

 **If you enjoy, make sure to leave a review! Enjoy the story!**

 **And if no one has caught on, I like Topo berries. Seems fitting for a northern region, being the Potato berries.**

* * *

The trek down into the forest was peaceful and quite. We didn't talk much, as we were used to being in the Gate. Every whisper was louder, but out here... Once out in the forest, you had to shout to be understood. The sounds of Noctowls was starting to pick up as the sun got lower in the sky, telling us to start setting up camp, but we kept going.

The trees were larger than the ones near Floaroma, of Eterna Forest, but this forest was most likely controlled more than the one back home. Used to be the forest only came half way down the route. Now, the entire thing was trees.

But at least the Pokemon were mostly the same...

There were Hoothoot, Paras, Lillipup, Kricketot. The usual. It was reassuring to see so many familiar Pokemon. Sarah looked to some of them, but didn't attempt to catch any of them as they ran away when we passed. I looked at the Lillipups and was reminded of the Herdier back home. I missed him, but I knew I'd see him time to time.

I kept looking from Sarah to July from time to time. The hair on my neck was constantly standing up. It might have been the cold air that made me on edge, but I don't know what it was. To take my mind off things, I released Stein to be a little reassuring. If something happened, I would rely on him to protect us.

July and Sarah gave me strange looks for sending out my Geodude, but I tried to hide my true intentions by telling Akuma to carry him while he did pushups on her back. It was a balance exercise of sorts, and Akuma showed her dislike for it, but she followed me for guidance. This obviously had a purpose.

The trees grew darker as we traveled deeper and I opened our last bag of jerky. The journey through the Gate had run our supplies drier than I thought, though Akuma enjoyed eating Digletts and Zubat. Thorn enjoyed the sunlight and Stein just ate ores and rocks. Besides them, I wouldn't know how to feed another meat-eater Pokemon. Luckily, Akuma would eat anything.

"Do you feel that," July questioned. "Feels like something's pricking my neck, but nothing's there." I looked around and felt in my pockets for something. Anything to hold. Holding onto an empty Pokeball helped, but only because I kept enlarging and shrinking it. The feeling of it always made my adrenaline pump. It helped me feel calm.

With darkness covering us, Sarah suggested we set up camp. It was also about the same time July went to sleep. Maybe a bit later... About five at night. It made sense since she was complaining too. Giving in, lead us to a small clearing. It gave me some small relief enough to put away the Pokeball. Gesturing outwards, I announced our campsite.

"Alright. We can set up here." Immediately, Akuma and Stein separated, finally given the signal they could separate. It was nice that he followed my commands more readily than even Thorn, who only followed orders when trying to impress. I started with gathering up supplies for the fire and dug out a small hole for it. Sarah and July set up their own bedding, and I wondered for only a second why Sarah and July didn't sleep together in the tent, being large enough for a second person.

But then I remembered the two didn't exactly get along well.

I was about to go hunting, heading over to Sarah and July to invite them, before I felt a wave pass over us all. I saw everyone's hair begin levitating before falling. Akuma spun around on the spot and began growling and Stein had arcs of electricity over him. He'd protected us from whatever had hit us.

My own movements to turn were strange. The muscles in my legs and arms felt tight and clenched. I could still move, but it was weird. And out of the trees, several sets of glowing eyes approached. We were being hunted.

"What's going on," July asked. She stood from her bed and smoothed out her hair. Sarah was already standing, having been trying to set her tent up. I watched as four felines came out of the trees. It was a pride of evolved Shinx. And my skin was tingling. The adrenaline in my body was making me want to move, want to run. But fear of what might happen kept me still.

The pride of Luxio and Luxray had large and powerful bodies, the leading and fully evolved Luxray was easily larger than I was, being almost six feet tall. A monster. It's massive set of teeth and claws had enough power in them to cause large arcs. The ones that hit the ground left bright orange spots.

Being unaffected, Stein and Akuma took the front lines. I suspected it was more of Stein presenting a larger capacity for neutralizing power, allowing us to move while he absorbed the charge. I wanted to call back them back, but I could barely move my jaw.

This was it.

All we'd done.

All for this.

Now it was all going to end here and now.

As I watched, the Luxray advanced on my two Pokemon, towering over them by at least four feet. Akuma had only just reached two foot three. She was still so young. Stein, he'd easily accepted me as a trainer, showing him the perks of training with me. And now they were faced with this, a beast that would slaughter as easily as slicing a steak.

But my throat wouldn't let a sound escape.

The large leader pounced like a Meowth, grabbing Stein in it's fangs. I saw bolts of electricity course down into the stone body of my Geodude, but he still attempted to punch the Luxray in the face. It seemed he had some effect on it, but each blow simply made the Luxray angrier. In response to the resistance, it bit down harder, cracks forming on Stein's body.

The shock of losing my Pokemon was enough to pull me out of fear. I tried to pull out his Pokeball in time, to return him. I threw open my bag and stuck my hand in as the sounds of cracking filled the clearing. Once I turned back with the Pokeball in hand, the button wouldn't work. No Pokemon would be returned.

A pile of stone lay at the Luxray's paws. Realizing what had happened almost brouhgt tears to my eyes. I couldn't have the same happen to Akuma. I had to stay calm. Her Pokeball was next, used quickly to recall her. She wouldn't like it later, but I wouldn't let her die. Of course, how I would escape was an entirely different question.

With Akuma gone and no challengers left, the Luxio of the pride started to advance towards the prey. I was scared of the smaller felines as much of the Luxray. The three that there were coming toward us were more than enough to rip us to shreds. We would die here.

"Hey, moron! Duck!" Looked back in time to see a red ball sail towards me. July had chucked a Pokeball past me and hit the Luxray square in the mouth. It was enough to open the ball and pull it into it. Looking back, the three Luxio were confused as to where their leader had gone.

July took off the moment the ball had left her hand and abandoning all her belongings at the camp. It was a bold move and the remaining cats looked at us in fear. They considered the possibility of chasing us for food.

Getting the idea, I pulled out a Pokeball of my own as Sarah threw hers at one of the Luxio. I did the same, throwing mine as hard as I could. Tears threatened to blur my aim, but the bright red flash was enough to tell me I would be fine. I ran after Sarah and July and smashed through branches and bushes.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to conquer every trial with ease. With the threat of a pride of wild cats behind us, the fear drove me faster. Hardly easy.

The scene of the crushed rocks of Stein falling replayed in my mind as I ran. I only kept the image of Sarah's hair as my guide. The tears at the edge of my eyes tried to come out, but I held them back. Keep strong, I kept telling myself.

Looking back was something I wanted to do. If a Luxio was on my tail, I'd want to know. But the only sounds was of crashing through the forest like the scared Buneary we were.

When my lungs burned, my heart ached, and my legs were like jelly, we finally stopped. Luckily, the Luxio and Luxray hadn't followed us. At least, not this far. It was hard to say how far they did go. All I knew was it was safe enough to rest. So, I rested.

I dropped like a fly when I was beat. To which, Sarah followed suit. July did as well, reaching her own limit. Seems she actually had one. I felt like there wasn't enough oxygen in the entire forest to satisfy my lungs for how fast I was breathing. My bag felt as heavy as a sack of Tapu berries.

The adrenaline that had pushed me this far was quickly dissipating and leaving me a tired and ragged mess. It almost let me fall asleep then and there. But the fact that all our stuff was back at the camp, including a bed, that sounded better than the bush below me.

"So... How's everyone?" Sarah looked around from her position against a tree. She seemed to be to most active person of us three.

"I... I think I'm okay. Can't really move, but I'll be fine it a few minutes."

"And July? How's she? She looks like she's out cold or something. She isn't dead, is she?" I lifted my head from the bush and looked at July. Her black hair covered her face, but I could see it moving from something under it in the light of the moon. She was still breathing, so she was still alive.

"I think she's just... sleeping." It was like she fell asleep as she was running and just dropped. No wonder since we were about ready to pass out ourselves. Even though I remembered Stein, my eyes wouldn't cry anymore. I was too tired to. Even though every time I thought of Stein, my chest hurt.

After several minutes of laying there, I finally felt like I could move. My breathing was still faster than normal, but it had slowed down to a reasonable rate. Sarah checked up on July and rolled her onto her back. She seemed to be okay, just asleep. Out cold as a Snorlax.

Once we were actually prepared to head back, I was forced to carry the unconscious July on my back. She wasn't too heavy, but I guessed she wasn't that tall either. Her hair occasionally tickled my ear, but most the time it was tree leaves. Another good. thing is she didn't have a heavy bag weighing her down either. Lucky me.

We walked back through our path of hasty escape, back through bushes and branches. It was much longer coming back, but the walk with Sarah was nice. Dark, but nice. With the moon overhead, along with tree branches, it was difficult to see, but at least we could see.

And there was the perks of seeing Sarah in the beams of moonlight. She didn't seem to notice my occasional glances, so I guessed I was safe.

"I think I see the camp. Just up ahead. See the light?" I looked up and pushed some of July's hair out of my face. I saw the outline of the white tent and some light. Rushing ahead, I made sure not to be too rough with the girl on my back. She might have been more peaceful while asleep, but if she woke up, I'd probably die.

Going over to July's bedding, I set her down carefully as Sarah went over to check the surroundings with Yami. I was trying to be careful, but she groaned when she touched the ground. To be honest, I was surprised she slept for the two hours back. And I was surprised I'd stayed standing the whole time.

My legs burned as I walked over to the center of the camp. The cold air was finally reaching me, making me shiver as well as exhausted. As I walked to the small hole I'd filled with wood for after hunting for a meal, I noticed several half spheres. Broken shells of Pokeballs.

I ignored them, not even wanting to think about the entire Luxray encounter. Looking at the pile of gravel I knew would be left of Stein wasn't something I wanted to do. The pain of simply losing him was enough to nearly bring tears to my eyes. As such, I tried to keep my mind on what I was doing.

Staring at the wood I'd set up in the pit, I realized Sarah still had her set of flint and steel on her. I turned back to ask her about them, but I caught a glance of the grey stone on the ground. It was pretty easy to see, against the flat greenish brown grass and leaves below it.

Instantly, the entire scene replayed in my head, finally breaking the dam I'd tried to hold. Tears began flowing and I just couldn't stand. This was the loss of one of my first Pokemon. I'd expected this to happen at some point, but never this early along the line. All I could do was wipe the tears as they dripped off my cheeks.

Sarah quickly noticed my condition and ran over to me. I don't really remember what she said, as I didn't really care. In fact, it was hard to remember what even I did. Sarah's care for me was nice, and I'd assume she comforted me about my lost Pokemon. Human stuff.

At some point, Sarah must have lit the fire and was sitting next to me when I finally calmed down. I sat up and crossed my legs, looking into the flames. My eyes were still blurry and probably pretty red and puffy. It was peaceful and quite, the only sounds was of the crackling of the fire and the occasional hooting of Hoothoot.

"You feeling better?" Sarah bumped my elbow. I turned towards her and she backed up from me. My eyes must have been worse than I thought if she backed up. I sniffed and rubbed my nose. Did I feel better? I couldn't really tell for sure, but I just knew that crying was more painful.

"I guess I'm alright," I said with a slightly raspy voice. I said it mostly for myself, but also to reassure her that I was alright. I didn't need another person reminding me. It was bad enough with just me.

"That's good. Anyways, it's getting late. If you're okay now, I'm going to bed. Kinda tired. See you in the morning?" Sarah began to stand up, but I stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"Have you eaten anything yet? I was going to eat some jerky, wondering if you wanted some?" I opened the flap of my bag and pulled off the blanket on top. And pulled out the last bag of Miltank jerky. I'd eaten some of it already, but most of it was still there.

"Sure. I... I guess I could eat some. I ate some berries I had saved." She sat down and I held out the bag for her. We both took a piece and I gnawed on it while staring at the fire. I didn't know how to talk about what'd happened, as I assumed she expected. I noticed she kept looking over at me, waiting for me.

We just sat there eating the jerky until the bag was empty. Once it was, I tossed the bag into the fire. It instantly shrank and burst into flames before disappearing. It was nice just sitting with Sarah, but I could tell she was getting uncomfortable. She pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms them, resting her chin on her knees.

"If you need to talk, I'm here for you. Just to vent your feelings or something, it'll be good for you." That was what I was afraid of. The entire topic of Stein made me a bit emotional. I knew he was a new addition, having been on the team for only a few days. But the battle experience and bond we'd made in the short time had been real.

"I'm tired, too. I think I'm going to bed and see you in the morning." I stood up from my place and grabbed the strap of my bag.

"Alright. I'd better head to sleep to. Just remember what I said?"

"I will. Thanks." We nodded to each other, said goodnight and all. I let her close her tent before pulling out Akuma's Pokeball. I wanted to spend some time alone with her. With just me and her, I could show true feelings. Hesitant, I clicked the button.

She appeared in a small flash of light, and immediately set into alert mode. Her growling was kinda loud in the darkness, but I tried to keep her calm by resting a hand on her neck. She turned towards me and growled at me, before she sniffed the air and noticed it was me.

"Hey, Akuma. How're you doing?" She was still on edge, her fur standing up and her muscles were tense. Due to the time flow in the Pokeballs being slowed. To her, maybe it'd been a few minutes or an hour.

She didn't seem to understand, but Akuma didn't really care. She didn't see, she didn't care. It was better that way. Not like I really wanted to go through the entire story again.

Instead, I unrolled my blanket and got under it. Akuma joined me by lying on top of me while I rolled up a shirt to use as a pillow. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But when my mind was clear, the memories of the day replayed in my mind. Water came to my eyes and I silently cried into the shirt underneath me.

It burned my eyes and made my cheeks itch, but it's not like I could stop it. Akuma licked my face and took away my tears for the moment, but they still kept coming. My breath started shaking, but Akuma kept nudging me, almost asking me; How could I be so weak?

Finally, I was too tired to stay awake any more. Having spent the day running through a cave, from Luxray, and general exhastion was enough to put any man to sleep. For me, I just ended up passing out. But that's just when the worst of it began.

With my dreams being able to create anything, all they wanted to show me was everything I didn't want to see. The same scene of Stein shattering, interrupted occasionally by all the fights I'd used him in. Before going back to his body shattering. Each and every time I saw it, it seemed to happen slower and slower.

At some point, I sat up in cold sweat. Akuma woke up and turned to me. I'd almost thrown her off me. She whined at being woken up by cross-clearing vaulting. Luckily, she wasn't really hurt. She appeared fine and walked over to me, obviously tired. Just like me.

"Sorry. Just been having bad dreams. Didn't mean to do that." I patted her on her horn and bent it slightly. She tried to laid down on me again, to back to sleep, but I pulled my legs out of the blanket. I didn't want to sleep. I knew what would happen if I did. The same dreams would play over and over, and I didn't want to go through that again.

Instead, I slipped on my sweatshirt and sat in front of the fire. The branches still had a little left to them, leaving a small and dying flame there. As it was small, it was kinda cold. I couldn't help but add a branch or two. Not that it changed much, but at least it would last a little longer.

Akuma followed me over and laid down next to me, laying her head against my leg. I reached out and rubbed her neck, which she seemed to enjoy. Soon enough, she was snoring again while I was left alone and awake. As peaceful as it was, all I could do was succumb to sleep. Falling backwards to the ground, I closed my eyes and hoped for a bit of peaceful sleep.

.

The morning came quickly. With a boot from July. Same wake up call as yesterday, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. It was still a kick to the ribs, so it did hurt, but I was getting used to it. Yawning, I sat up and brushed the leaves off my face. They'd been falling from the trees above while I'd been sleeping, being the middle of fall. Shivering, I looked around the camp and saw July beside me, completely ready to leave. It was dark, but I could still see her clothes.

"Hey," She started out. "Now that we're on the other side of the Gate, you don't have to wait up for me, and I shouldn't have to wait on you two. We should split up and go at our own pace. Besides, you're kinda stupid, so it'd be a waste to stick around with you." Walking off, I thought about what she'd said. I think it was something about letting me sleep? And why'd she have to be so rude about it?

Laying back down, I pulled my blanket from above me over myself and rolled over, on to Akuma. She adjusted by crawling out from underneath me and jumping on me.

"Wow. Akuma, you're heavier than I though. Might have hit my bruised rib there." Groaning, I settled in under a pillow made of my shirt and began to fall asleep, not truly understanding what July had meant. I was too tired to really care anyways. To help fall asleep, I told myself I'd deal with it later.

.

It wasn't until the sun was well above the trees that I realized what was going on. I sat up and scared Akuma in the process. I looked around for July, but as she said, she'd already left. One of our party was gone. Of course, it's not that big of a deal. We'd be able to travel during the day more, but it still... It was weird to me.

The blind dragon walked over to me and yawned, nudging my shoulder. I couldn't resist rubbing her neck. Her fur was sort of coarse, but it was sort of nice. Familiar. Like Herdier's fur, back when I was back home. Shaking my head, I pressed my forehead into her side.

I didn't really do anything for several minutes before Akuma began to get uncomfortable and started to fidget around. In the end, I agreed and decided to get out of bed. Or, my bedding at least. It'd been almost a week since I slept in a bed.

Looking around the clearing, I shivered in the cold air and rubbed my arms together. It'd probably snow by next week, to be honest. I couldn't see my breath yet, but it was most likely because it wasn't quite below freezing. It's not like I understood it that well, but my guess was probably the best I could ever want, really.

"Oh, morning. Do you know where July went? She didn't wake me up this morning." I spun around to see Sarah just coming out of her tent, combing her hair. She seemed to be in a happier mood than the grim one yesterday, but she still had a look in her eye when she looked at me. Something told me it was pity, but it could have been anything. I don't know why, but I didn't like it.

I shrugged, signalling I didn't know. To be honest, her entire conversation with me was fairly vague. She hadn't said much to begin with, other than she was leaving. Maybe she thought we were slower together. True, the thought crossed my mind several times in the Gate.

"So she didn't talk to you either... She's really antisocial, not to mention secretive. She never once showed her Pokemon and just sneaks away in the middle of the night!" Sarah walked over to me, looking around the forest before looking into the sky.

"July only said one or two things to me before she left. Just saying that she didn't need to stay with us. Guess she thought we were too slow or something. That's my guess." I ran my hands through my hair and smoothed it out, mainly because I felt like it was sticking up like crazy.

"Well... I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but what do you plan to do with Stein? I mean, you aren't going to just leave him, are you?" The very mention of Stein made me freeze, but I shook it off. I couldn't spend more time crying like a baby. I was better than that.

"I-I don't really know. After he was shattered, I didn't really think about doing anything with him." I tried not to look at the pile of rocks that was Stein now. I knew I could probably do it without flinching, but I also know it wouldn't be like a plain of flowers to me.

"We should probably put him back in the ground. Put him back where he belongs." Nodding, I decided this to be the best course of action. Burying Stein... It seemed to be the right thing to do.

Acting, I kept myself from showing anything. I used my facade to dig a hole, gather the stones, and hold the funeral. I tried not to think, to remember. At most, I hiccuped or breathed deeply. But I kept it under control. It was difficult, laying the remains in the hole I'd dug, but Sarah helped me do so.

Once everything was laid down and ready to be covered up, I did one thing I'd never really thought I'd ever do. I put both of my hands together and looked up to the cloudy sky. Arceus, if he really was a god, I hoped he would listen to me.

"Arceus. I hope you'll find it somewhere to allow my Pokemon Stein to rest peacefully in the ground. You know, not revive as a ghost Pokemon. Thanks." Sarah put her hands together and whispered something as well, before giving me permission to start shoveling the dirt into the hole with my tree branch and hands.

To finish off the grave, I took out my knife and engraved a crude sign. It just read 'Stein the Geodude' with the date below it. I had to check my PokeDex for the actual day before carving in '1 - 11 - 2064'. It barely fit on the branch, but I managed. I cleaned it up quickly before stabbing it into the dirt. Akuma sniffed it and I put my hand on her head.

Almost on cue, rain started falling. It reflected the mood of the situation. With water falling on my face, it became easy to hide my tears and I let a few slide. Just this once. I really was a baby, with all this crying. Then I realized our bedding was currently getting soaked.

While walking over to my blanket, I tripped over something. Looking down, I saw something red half-buried in the dirt. Pulling it out, while I thought it was just the top of a Pokeball, I realized it was whole. Pokeballs weren't just left places often, so I wondered why this one was. Akuma sniffed it before looking at me.

I checked the screen that was pulled up when I picked it up. Reading it, I saw the species of the caught Pokemon; Luxio. The Pokemon I was holding was one of the monsters that had attacked us last night, and we'd caught one of them. I guessed that the disappearance of one of them was why they left us alone after that.

The thought of keeping the Luxio disgusted me, angered me and almost tempting me to throw it away and leaving it there forever. But I decided against it. I couldn't throw it away. Instead, I just put it into my bag and tried to forget it. I had bedding to clean up. Sarah looked back at me, but I just shook my head at her, forcing her to look away from me.

After cleaning up our camp, we shouldered our bags and started walking towards Oreburgh. I kept myself distracted by trying to come up with a strategy to deal with the gym there. I leaned over my screen in an attempt to block it from water. It was kinda boring without fast connections, but I quickly noticed my PokeDex's signal bars fill up fast.

It also gave me and excuse to text my parents, to tell them I was on the other side of the Gate. Not much detail, but just to tell them I was fine and safe. I didn't dare mention anything about the Luxray pride I'd seen, nor about my traveling companions. All that mattered was that I was okay.

That took at most ten minutes to do.

Now that I was in range of signal and internet, I looked up details on Gym Leader Roderick's fighting style. Anything helped, until I saw the guy just went with whatever he felt like and hoped it worked. From the picture posted online, I saw he was a young guy, around twenty or so. It seemed to be just a long ranged shot, but it was high quality. He looked serious, like he was about to battle.

And so I set to work. Just jotting down in a digital notepad hints and notes to use in a battle was the best I could really hope for while we were traveling in the rain. Akuma tried to stay near me, to keep out of the rain, but quickly noticed I wasn't the best shield. As such, she tried to hide in the shade of trees, but it didn't do the greatest job either. Which caused her to try to light fire to them with her new draconic flames move, projecting her fire about her head's length away.

I quickly stopped her though, before she set the entire forest. That wouldn't go over too well with the League...

Akuma just stuck to grumbling in the rain. Her fur was matted down and soaked, much like Sarah's hair. I guessed it was the same with mine as well. My clothes stuck to my body and it was quite annoying that everything in my bag was getting wet. Including my blanket.

After writing down as much as I could, I was stuck with just walking. Sure, it was an opportunity to talk and get closer to Sarah, but every time I tried to talk to her, I remembered our conversation last night and couldn't actually do it. Instead, I just focused on walking.

The rain stopped falling sometime around noon, so it left us walking through mud and soaked to the bone. Coupled with the cold weather, it might have been better to be naked. Of course, since we weren't that close, we'd never do that.

It was still kinda depressing since we were soaked to the bone, not to mention heavy. Akuma tried to heat herself up with my pants legs and by trying to breath fire, but I had to stop her before she set me on fire. Sarah, while she occasionally groaned about her clothes being wet, she mostly kept going. Myself... I just kept going. Thinking wasn't fun, nor was talking, or trying to battle. All in all, it wasn't very great.

Luckily, Oreburgh was coming up quickly. With the darkened sky, the glow of the city could be seen from where we were. Our maps showed us closer and closer every time we checked. From the point we noticed the lights, it took almost two hours to get there. Even at a quick pace.

"Damn... 'Bout time we got here." We passed through the arch at the front of Oreburgh, which read something cheesy like, 'Welcome to Oreburgh, City of Rocks!' I don't know. Coupled with wet clothes, being tired, and hungry, I just wanted to go to the Pokemon Center and fix all of it.

"What should we do? Should we register for the gym fight now? Or just eat? Sleep and do it tomorrow?"

"Wait, what? Do it tomorrow? No, we should register today, but not right now. I'm sick of wearing these wet clothes, for one, and I'm hungry. I want to eat." After I said it, I felt a bit guilty for being selfish about my own needs.

"Fine, Bossy," She said, kinda looking a bit irritated. "But I guess I feel the same about my own clothes. Besides that, I want to make sure everything in my bag is alright." Nodding, I sighed in relief. Our relation allowed me to take a bit for myself.

Heading through town, I had to recall Akuma while inside the boundaries of town. It wasn't to big of a deal to me, and probably not for her either, but it felt a little weird without someone else being near me. Sarah being near me was fine, but it just made it weird when we were both alone together.

The city of Oreburgh was nice and everything, but the air felt dusty and the buildings weren't nearly as big as in Jubilife, but still fairly larger than any building in Floaroma town. There were several people on the streets, most of them young adults and had umbrellas. I looked at some of them and their dry clothes as I dragged myself towards the Pokemon Center.

Walking through the sliding glass doors of the Pokemon Center, the heat from inside billowed out. I let Sarah walking in first, being a gentleman. I looked around inside and was sorta surprised to see several people lounging around. When it's the end of fall, it was strange to see many people still here.

"Wow. Are these just people who lost against Roderick at the Gym?" The idea of these all being losers made it obvious the battle wouldn't be just a walk in the park. Of course, having a dragon on my team, it might not be that bad.

Walking up to the front counter, Nurse John greeted us before pausing. He looked at our clothes and opened a comm channel to the laundry manager. Saying something about bringing two sets of sweats and and sweatshirts. That was one of the things off the list.

The young man who walked out of the back room froze for a second when he saw our clothes. I looked down at my clothes and realized why the guy was surprised. The small cardboard boxes wouldn't like a bunch of wet clothes. Still, the guy came up to us to do his job. He stopped in front of us and bowed before handing the two boxes to us.

"If you two follow me, I can show you to our changing rooms, or if you'd like to change in our bathrooms, I could take you there as well." This was similar to the one back before the Gate.

"Sarah? Your choice this time." I didn't know whether or not it was the right question, but I couldn't just decide for her.

"The changing rooms are fine."

"Alright, you two. Just follow me. You'll find a set of clothes in the boxes. You can put your clothes in them once you're done, but... I don't know if they'll survive all the water." I almost smiled at that. "Oh, and when you come back, you can leave your Pokemon to be healed as well."

He began to lead us into the back, past the sets of washers and dryers already spinning with wet clothes. Back into a small area with three sets of curtains on both sides. I looked around it and noted the differences between the all the Pokemon Centers. I had previously thought each one was the same as the one in Floaroma, but they obviously weren't.

"Well? Go ahead and change. I'll wait here." I looked at Sarah before walking into a separate and curtained room. Once inside, I started the slow process of peeling wet fabric from my skin. After taking off my shirt, I noticed my arm.

The scars on my arm were almost overlapped by the healing fang marks from the Zubat. I guessed I'd have another set of scars there. I rubbed them and wondered when they'd fade. I knew they were scars, but they didn't look as cool as I first thought. Maybe it'd make a good story later on?

After a while, I remembered to put on my clothes. The number on the sweats read 10, with the zero being a Pokeball. Over another Pokeball. The sweatshirt I put on shortly after had the same emblem embroidered. Same grey as always. Once I was dressed, I ducked out of the dressing room, dragging my bag behind me. It was, after all, still very wet.

"Your box, sir?" Holding out the white box used for laundry, I noticed it dripping. I also noted a trail of water and mud being mopped up by two janitors behind. The young man accepted the box, but stayed there. I looked behind me, but Sarah hadn't come out of her changing room yet.

Feeling my hair, I noted it was still a bit wet, but it was already drying. The perks of having short hair. I wondered if that was what was slowing down Sarah while she was changing.

As I was thinking that, the curtain was pulled back and she walked out. I noted that she wore the same clothes as me, but it was still wet from her hair. It also a bit baggy on her, hiding her curves. She looked more... normal. Not exactly like she was more manly, but she was less feminine. I didn't know how to explain it, but she looked better this way.

I shook my head. I couldn't be thinking about that.

"Your box, miss?" The guy I'd been waiting with held out his hands as Sarah walked out. She obeyed, handing over her clothes and I saw her box was fuller than mine. Almost overflowing, really. The lid was balanced on the pile of dripping clothes.

"So, shall we go? We should get your Pokemon checked in, just in case." I nodded at his point and agreed. He led us back through the washers and driers. As we passed, he handed over both boxes he held under each arm to one of the workers there. Of the two, the youngest girl smiled at us before taking the boxes to the washers. Back in the lobby, the man said his goodbye and left us there.

"Should we check in now or after eating," I asked Sarah.

"Now is better. We can eat while we wait, as well as go over to the Gym and register for our gym fight. We won't have to worry about it later then." Damn. She made it sound so smart...

"Right. So..." She gestured for me to lead the way, putting me in an awkward position. Nodding, I walked up to the front desk again. The Nurse John looked at me before smiling. It almost made me uncomfortable how much people smiled at me.

"Hello, sir. What can I do you for, now that you're cleaned up?"

"Me and my friend would like to check in our Pokemon."

"Alright, let me see your Pokemon and PokeDex? Both of you, please." I pulled out my PokeDex from my bag, before I gave over my three Pokeballs." Sarah looked at me for a moment before handing over her own PokeDex and balls. "Okay... Uh, sir. This Pokeball here. It's unregistered, so I'm going to have to ask for your index finger scan."

I held out my hand and the nurse pressed a small opaque plate. It glowed red for a moment before he touched it to the Pokeball. Once it turned green, he nodded before checking Sarah's two Pokeballs. I moved to the side to talk to Sarah. I knew she would ask me anyways.

"I'm not going to keep it. It's not Stein's either. The Pokemon inside is a Luxio, one of the ones that attacked us last night." She looked confused. "I just got lucky."

"So, what _do_ you plan on doing it? You aren't just going to kill it, are you?"

"Arceus, no! I'm just going to sell it at the Pokemon Guild here. You don't have to come with me, but I plan to do it soon. Besides, the registration costs something like a thousand Poke Dollars. Insane, but a mid stage Pokemon should sell well." Sarah took back her own PokeDex before handing me my own. I thanked her before slipping it into my sweats pocket.

"Your Pokemon don't seem to have sustained much damage, but I'll run a quick checkup on them before giving them back. You should be able to get them back in about an hour, after some of our other patrons." I nodded to Nurse John and stepped back from the counter.

"So, in the mean time, do you have any money left over for food? Because I'm totally broke." Sarah pulled out her pockets to show me she didn't have anything. Looking down at my bag, as well as Sarah's, I saw they weren't much drier.

"We should probably check our bags for any loose change. I don't remember if I have much money either." Sarah sighed and shook her head, before following me to a set of free benches. There weren't many people really around, but it was enough to say there were a few. More than ten, at least.

Sitting down, I set down my bag. Sarah did the same, setting down her larger bag. I opened up the flap, moving aside the blanket. I could have gotten it washed, but it slipped my mind. Pushing aside some of the stuff, I pulled out two empty Pokeballs, a few cords of soaked but dry grasses, and almost three hundred Poke dollars. Score.

"I guess I do have a bit of cash. Did you have any luck?" Sarah held up her open palms. Most of her bag was spread out on the ground, showing off some of the worthless things she'd brought along. Like half a dozen bottles of perfume. It's obvious she did have her girlish tendencies, but I brushed it off. Not my problem. "Well, I guess lunch is on me... Or would it be dinner?"

"My guess it somewhere in between," Sarah replied, checking her Poketch. "Now, Dragon Boy. Let's go get something to eat." Her last comment was a false voice, like she was trying to be formal. Playing along, I bowed before laughing. She laughed as well, filling the mostly quiet lobby with our laughing.

"Guess we should put everything away first," I stated, gesturing to her backpack's contents on the ground. I tried not to look at any of the other trainers, who were most likely sizing us up. Two light-hearted kids showing up, I guessed it was strange. After all, most of them had apparently lost to Roderick.

After a bit of reorganization and coercion, Sarah and I managed to fit most of our things in our bags. Luckily, without clothes, my blanket and little pot could fit inside my bag. I had to squeeze a bit of water out, but the blanket could still be folded into a compact enough form to fit.

With everything in our bags, we left quite the puddle on the floor. I was starting to feel bad for any janitors working here.

"C'mon. I'm starving." Sarah started dragging me behind her, along with her bag, heading for the cafeteria. I felt the eyes of several boys and girls digging into my back. I almost felt tempted look back at them, just to make sure, but I wasn't sure I'd like it if I did. Instead, I focused on Sarah's hair as it moved back and forth.

"Hey, wha'd you like to order? We got Topo and Egg Salad, Miltank Casserole, and Cereal with Oran berry chunks." The lady behind the counter was one of those stereotypical lunch ladies. Grouchy, and kinda fat like a Snorlax. Looking behind the glass that seperated us, I saw everything she'd offered.

"I'll take the Miltank Casserole," I said. I moved aside as the lady started to gather up some of the dish that looked like Mashed Topo berries and pulled out a healthy scoop. The lady handed over the tray and looked to Sarah.

"Um, Topo and Egg Salad, please? With a side of Pinap?" The lady started to glare at Sarah, who just looked calmly back. As if the lunch lady had offered it.

"How'd you know we had Pinap berries?"

"A kid out there was eating some. Where else would he get if, if not here?"

"Fine, but only this once. I planned on keeping that Pinap for later, but your deduction skills are sharp." The lunch lady walked over to the edge of the display case. Inside was chunks of yellow berry flesh. She dumped a bit of it onto a tray before shoveling a scoop of Topo salad onto the tray. Sarah accepted and turned to me.

"Lead the way, Dragon Boy," Sarah said, giving me permission to choose a seat. Heading to one near the windows, though it looked like rain clouds above and getting darker. I took my place and hung my bag around the seat. Sarah just laid hers against the wall.

"Bon appetite," She said, picking up a set of utensils from a canister in the middle of the table. I followed suit, and stabbed a fork into the Casserole. Taking a bite, I noted it also tasted like food from a school lunch lady. It wasn't that warm either. Four out of ten.

"Not exactly five star, is it?" Sarah poked her fork at her Pinap and ate some. I stabbed mine a few more times before eating more of my own food. Same as the first time. My excitement for food was quickly diminished. Still, I was hungry, so I still ate it. Almost tempted me to go out and find a Miltank burger stand, but I didn't really have money to spare.

Once we were finished with our food, we went up to the counter where a stack of dirty stack of trays were stacked. Passing by the lunch lady, I handed her the fifty we both owed for food. At least it was cheap, right? I guess they're right when they say you get what you paid for.

"How much time has passed since we handed in out Pokemon," I asked Sarah, as we stepped out of the cafeteria. She looked down at her wrist and check her Poketch. She had to tap it a few times before telling me only about twenty minutes had gone by. Only forty minutes left... What was I gonna do in the mean time?

We couldn't register until I sold the Luxio, hopefully getting two thousand for it. I know it would probably go for something like four thousand in places like Pastoria, but going there would most likely take longer than I cared for. Besides, I was already here. I hung my head.

"What're we gonna do for so long? Geez, I could probably beat the League Circuit in the time it takes for our Pokemon to be ready. Ugh." I flopped down on the couches and tossed my bag to my side. The kid near me glared at me before turning back to his PokeDex screen.

"I don't know. It's not like we need to stay inside the Pokemon Center. We're going to be here for more than a day or two, most likely, so it'd be nice to explore a bit." I lifted my head and glanced at her.

"But it's cold out there. And we have wet bags. What're we gonna do with them?"

"Well, I do have a solution for that. There just so happens to be rooms just upstairs we can put them." Oh, yeah! I'd almost forgotten there were rooms here. It was a good thing that one of us remembered. Still, I'd probably remember some time later at night. When we didn't really need to store our bags.

Going up to the main desk, Sarah asked for two rooms. The male nurse checked our PokeDexes and confirmed the legitimacy of our IDs. Then he asked us both one question; Whether we were here for the Coal Badge or not. Nodding, we both confirmed we were. He handed us each a pair of keys to rooms upstairs, with numbers on the chain.

"Well, guess that's that. Let's go upstairs. Then we can go exploring." I almost laughed at what Sarah said, but she quickly noticed my smile. "Shut up, Dragon Boy. That isn't what I meant. Now get moving!" She pushed me towards the stairs before following me.

After a quick look around our rooms, including dropping off our bags, we met back up in the hallway. I made sure before I left the room a hung up my blanket. It would be nice if it was dry before we left Oreburgh. Still, the best thing to think about is how I was going to beat the Gym.

Sarah seemed to know where she was going, and it nice and all, but the facade lasted until we stepped outside. Once we hit the cold air, I looked to Sarah for her directions. When she looked as confused as I felt, I knew asking her anything wouldn't help. Leader time, I guess.

"So, wanna figure out where the gym is? Should be easier to find it later, right?" It was the first thing that came into mind when thinking about going anywhere. True, going there now wouldn't be that useful, but I really didn't know what else to do.

"Sure. Better than what I had in mind."

"And what was it that you had in mind," I asked as we started walking. We stepped through puddles and pushed through the cold.

"Not much. Just looking at the mine or something."

"The coal mines here? Those were closed years ago, when the coal ran out. Doesn't seem that interesting when nothing is happening."

"What, you'd expect they'd just let whoever down into operational mines? Not likely." Sarah pulled at the sleeves of her Pokemon Center sweatshirt before rubbing her arms.

"True..." Now that the mines were no longer in use, it was much safer than when they pulled tons of coal from the rocks below us. That didn't mean the tunnels were that safe, though. I'd heard of stories from passing trainers that some kids had died in there. Scary stuff.

We walked past shops, housing, and a few entertainment places. Like a cinema and a few parks. I thought about going to one of the parks later, but at the same time, it felt like wasting time. I glanced at Sarah, but she still looked confused. After a minute of me glancing over, she noticed.

"So," she started out. "Where is the Gym at? I know it's a stadium and all, but where is it?" That would be an issue... I knew we'd find it eventually, yes, but why waste time? Seeing someone walking down the street, I walked over to her.

"Hey, ma'am? Could you tell me where to find the Oreburgh Gym?"

"Lost, are you? Geez, I don't see how you could miss it. Just go down that street up there, past two intersections, then turn right. It'll be right there."

"Thanks, ma'am!" I ran back to Sarah and smiled. "See? Not a problem." I took the lead and went down the street.

"You couldn't have done that earlier? I hate being lost."

"We weren't lost. All I had to do was ask someone." Sarah huffed, but didn't say anything. Keeping track of the intersections as we crossed, I turned at the third one. Looking down the street, the huge sign of the Sinnoh League was held over a building at the end. Right there, just as the lady had said.

Walking towards it, we crossed the streets and I watched as the cars passed. I looked at Sarah before reaching the Gym, but she looked fine. Looking back at the Gym, it looked more like it was being eaten by the rocks around it. Going quite overboard with the aesthetics.

"Well, we've seen it. Let's go back to the Pokemon Center." Sarah seemed impatient, but in a cool way. Passive aggressive or something.

"But, what about the Pokemon Guild? What about finding that?"

"I don't really want to go there. When you get back, we can come back to the Gym and register. Deal?"

"A-alright. Doesn't matter that much, I guess. And what are you going to do in the mean time?"

"It doesn't really matter. Let's just head back." Shrugging, I followed as Sarah began heading back. What's gotten into her? Was it the cold? Or was it something else? But she'd said something about it not being my problem by saying it didn't matter. I decided not to push it. Not even when I felt the burn to ask what was wrong.

Back at the Pokemon Center, Sarah and I ran through the sliding doors as rain began to drizzle down again. Some of the trainers looked at us, but I ignored them. Besides, I'd much rather be dry than having to change clothes again. Breathing heavily, we both walked up to the counter.

"Ah, you two. Just in time." The same Nurse John greeted us and pulled a tray from under the table. I wondered how they kept track of each and every trainers' Pokemon. "For you, miss," he said, handing the two Pokeballs to her. It was easy to recognize her green and blue Pokeballs, I guess.

"And for you," Nurse John reached below the counter again and pulled out another tray with three Pokeballs. Nodding, I took them. "Now, can I see your PokeDexes? Just for a moment."

Reaching into my pocket, I handed over my blue PokeDex and flipped it open for him. He opened my ID and nodded. He did the same for Sarah and we stepped back from the counter. I looked at the three Pokeballs in my hands before putting two in my pocket with my PokeDex and the Luxio one in my other.

"Well? Should we just separate here or on the way?" I looked to Sarah, but she'd already gone. "Geez, I'll take that as 'here'. Didn't know you hated me that badly." Walking towards the exit again, I noted the darkness getting stronger. The rain still came down in a slight drizzle, but I suspected it'd get worse pretty quickly.

I covered my head with my arm as I ran out into the cold darkening streets. My shoes splashed water around me from puddles, making me worry about my pants, but I would rather run than be soaked. I dodged around people while I looked down at my PokeDex for directions.

Once I reached the Pokemon Guild, I found myself near the edge of Oreburgh. Looking around was hard to do in the dark, even with street lamps on. Anything outside the lights range was hard to see. Still, I was here for business. The place I was looking for was well in the range of lamps.

With the rain falling, it was nice to get inside. Going through the heavy door, I walked into the Guild. Looking around, I saw two people browsing the items inside. One looked to be a mother, the other a younger kid. Like, thirteen young. But what I was interested in was the guy behind the counter.

"Hey, young trainer. You look to be in need of a good Pokemon. We sell an assortment of Pokemon here, and you might just be able to find the perfect partner. How about it?" The man behind the counter didn't miss a beat.

"Sorry, man. I'm not here to buy. But I do have business." The man laughed for a second before shifting around.

"You looking to sell something? Tell me what you're looking to trade and I'll tell you what it's worth." I nodded and pulled out a Pokeball. I put it on the table for the man to look at, but I kept my hand near it. Just in case.

"Hm. Let's see..." He lifted the Pokeball off the counter and allowed me to press the button for the display. "A Luxio, huh? Well, kid. Oreburgh is a rock and ground type city. Most people here train to defeat Roderick, meaning that most won't want an Electric type on their team."

"But that kid over there just wants a Pokemon. C'mon, any kid would want a cool feline as their starter. And it's a second stage evolution. It's bound to be worth at least two thousand, right?"

"Kid, I see what you're doing here. But you could easily get more from another guild. Like, in Pastoria city would be better."

"So, you won't take it?" My hopes for getting the two thousand needed to register. But then he shook his head.

"I didn't say that. I'll take it, but it's a pain to sell something no one wants. But I'll give you exactly what I think it's worth. Are you cool with that?" A smile betrayed me as I felt my success burning brightly.

"I'll take it. It's all I got." Going over to his register, he put the Pokeball in the slot in the side and opened the tray. He started typing in a few things, but then he turned towards me.

"So, kid. You got a bank account somewhere?" I shook my head. The bank account I did have was controlled by my parents. "Alright then. Here's two thousand and two hundred Poke dollars. I'm hoping that you win on the first attempt, but I guess that's just wishful thinking. Not many pass on their first try."

"Thanks. I'll do my best." I stretched out my arm to offer my forearm, but I had to shake myself to hold out my hand instead. He shook my hand a smirked. I just hoped this worked. This was my only chance, after all.

Looking back around the guild, I saw the kid was still there, but the older woman had already gone. And the kid was looking at me. I could tell he wanted to talk to me, but I tried to ignored it. It's not like I didn't like kids, I just didn't know what I'd say if he started questioning me. Besides, I'm not some sort of winner yet.

Trying to by the kid, I kept my eyes away from him. I walked around the other side of the store, appearing like I was browsing until I reached the door. With the door within arms reach, I felt a hand catch my sleeve. I turned around to see the one kid I didn't want to.

"Hey, let go of me." Tugging my arm back, I felt his grip slip.

"I-I'm sorry. I just wanted to ask you which Pokemon I should get?" I looked around and glanced at the guy behind the counter.

"To tell you the truth, this is something only you can decide. I can't tell you which to choose. Sorry kid." I turned away from the kid and opened the door. Then I turned back. "Besides, you're too young anyways. Wait a few years." I heard the kid groan, but he nodded, as the door closed behind me. Not like I stuck around, with the rain coming down as hard as it was. In the dark.

.

Running through the front doors of the Pokemon Center, I sighed as I shook my hair. The few trainers who were still down in the lobby glared at me for flinging water over them. Looking around the room, I felt the wad of cash in my pocket. I had to find Sarah, mainly because I didn't feel like waiting.

When I didn't see her in the main lobby, I decided it would be best to ask her. With my Pokedex, I sent her a message. For a good minute, I stared at the screen, but the she didn't respond right away. It made me concerned, but I guessed she was busy with something else.

Sighing, I sat down on one of the benches in the lobby. I was about to send another message to Sarah when someone nudged my knee. Looking up, I saw a guy with a tough look on his face. After a quick glance at him, I noted that he didn't look that muscular. Paired with blonde hair and a thin face, he looked like a wimp. But his facial expressions told me he was used to being rude and crude. Or just mad.

"So, you think you're a hot shot, do you? Just because you got some Pokemon, you think you can come in here and act like you own the place? Ha, like hell. You're a runt. I'll tell you, I've been here longer than most, so I'm the Alpha. Got that, puke? Got it?" I look up with a straight face. Shortly before bursting out laughing.

"Oh, man," I breathed out. The kid glared at me, but didn't do anything. Yet. "You've been here the longest? God, your Pokemon must be garbage. And just how much money have you spent fighting Roderick? I gotta say, you must suck." Calmed myself down, as well as slide my PokeDex into my pocket.

"You think you're all that, huh? I'd like to see you do better than me. No noobie can beat the first gym on the first try. Trust me, when you lose, I'll crush you." Grumbling, the blonde kid walked away while I closed my eyes and breathed. Before lightly chuckling.

Just in time for my PokeDex to ring. I pulled it out again and looked at the screen. Sarah said she was in her room, to meet her there. Standing up, I glanced over at the kid from earlier, but he didn't look at me. Rather, wouldn't meet my eyes. He'd probably been glaring at me the whole time.

After running up the stairs two at a time, I knocked on Sarah's room. I heard a bit of shuffling inside, right before it opened. Sarah stood in the doorway, and she didn't look too happy. Minding myself, I made sure to not do anything to piss her off. If she was mad, though I wasn't sure why.

"Hey, I got the money. So, whenever you're ready to go, we can." She looked at my eyes, then sighed. I looked at her hair and noted it was fairly damp. And she smelled... nice. She'd showered, but I didn't know exactly why she was a bit angry with me. Was it something I'd done?

"Dragon boy. Hey. We going or not?" Sarah snapped her fingers near my face, making me flinch and blink. "Seriously, sometimes I think you're not even paying attention." Sighing, I gave up and just followed her. Down the stairs and through the lobby, and out the front doors. I winced at the rain hitting me, but still followed Sarah.

.

A few minutes, we stood at the entrance of the gym. The large and heavy doors guarding it were pretty big, being probably three meters tall and a meter wide EACH! They were quite large, compared to the ones back home. Quite impressive. I liked the look of them, but once I tried to open them, I started to like them... not as much.

"Man, just how thick do you need these things? Are they trying to stop military mortar shells with it?" Once they were open, I groaned and looked at the doors again. They had to be at least fifteen centimeters, and not hollow. After catching my breath, the doors began to close automatically behind us. Why couldn't they have opened automatically?

"C'mon," Sarah said, being impatient. "I want to get back to my room as soon as this is over. The faster this is done, the faster I can leave." I had to look at Sarah, and she'd given me the reason to. I knew I shouldn't ask her, but the question burned me.

"Are you alright? You suddenly got kinda angry and stuff. You can talk to me." It was something any human person would ask. Still, I knew she wouldn't appreciate me asking. I prepared for the worst.

"... Fine. You're right. I haven't been very nice, have I? Well, it's just my time. You know? Periods." The sudden, yet obvious realization made me facepalm. Why hadn't I thought of this?

"Well, that does make a lot of sense. Sorry for not considering that."

"Great, not the time to discuss this anyways. Let's go and register already." Almost dragging me, we walked through the first room, which was mainly just a hub of rooms, and to the administration desk. Sarah went first, without asking for me, but I kept up.

"Hey, I'm here to register for a gym battle." The lady who was behind the glass dropped her book with a look of annoyance. From my distance, she didn't look too old, but she did look sorta pissed.

"PokeDex, please?" Grumbling, she handed it over. The lady opened it and placed it on some sort of scanner. I came up behind Sarah and waited by her. She glanced at me, but didn't really care to comment. The lady behind the glass was rapidly tapping her keyboard and glared at the screen.

"Alright. I've cleared you for the gym battle, but I gotta give you a bit of a warning sentence. With only a few weeks on your Trainer ID, the chances of you actually winning the battle are pretty slim. Go out and train. You've got a whole week. But I can place your reservation now, if you want."

"Why do I have to wait an entire week?! I'm ready now, so why not just let me fight him now?!"

"Now, calm down. If you pay the thousand now, I'll make sure you have the fight in exactly one week." Pulling my money out of my pocket, I started counting out the one thousand. It wasn't exactly hard with only about two thousand with me, but it still took me a good 30 seconds.

"Here, Sarah. The money." She snatched the wad of cash and shoved towards the lady. The woman had to reach under the glass to take the money, but Sarah was a bit reluctant to give up the money. She held onto a few bills while the woman counted out the bills she had.

"I'm gonna need another seventy Poke dollars. Promise, it's part of job. So, stop being a spoiled brat and make up your mind." Making a face at her, Sarah handed over the remaining bills. I'd counted it out perfectly, leaving no change. The woman handed back Sarah's PokeDex along with a slip of paper, proving her gym battle was scheduled for the eight of November. With that, she backed away from the desk and allowed me to step up.

"Yo, I'm also here to register." I pulled my PokeDex out of my pocket and pushed it through the slit under the glass, along with the money. I breathed slowly. This was happening. The one thing that marked me as a League Trainer, a gym badge, was only a week away. Hopefully I was patient enough to stand the week.

"So, you're with the girl," she said as she typed stuff into the computer. She'd already put my PokeDex into the scanner. "Like I told her, you're gonna have to wait a week. I can't have newbies losing and not have had a warning. Sorry, kid. Not my rules."

"Yeah, I get it. Sorry about Sarah, by the way. She's... had a bad day." The lady nodded, seeming to understand. I'm not exactly sure why I was hiding it, with a woman probably knowing and understanding periods better than me. Still, I guess it's the chivalry for her privacy.

The lady took the money and counted it out. With no more cash on me, the money she had was everything I had. It also meant the money she handed back was supposed to last me an entire week. Thinking about it made me shift back and forth on my feet while the lady finished up my registration.

"Here you go. Your PokeDex, change of two hundred eighty Poke dollars, and your confirmation of the battle. See you then." Kicking back, the lady pulled up her book and kicked up her feet. Probably what I would do, except the book part. Most likely, a nap or something.

I shoved my things into my pockets and left the main hall, seeing as it was finished. My hand felt the thick paper receipt in my pocket, and I felt my muscles tighten in excitement. It was confirmed. The battle was going to happen. And I was gonna win.

Looking up, I glanced back and forth. Something was missing... But what was it? Something? Or someone. A certain someone hadn't waited for me. Sighing, I grumbled about Sarah abandoning me. But I guess with her condition, I decided not to pester her about it.

After pushing the button to the door, I waited for it to slowly open and felt my PokeDex buzz. A private message? I pulled it out as I walked out into rain. I covered my head with the sleeves of my Pokemon Center sweater. But reading the message in the rain was a pain. Sighing, I decided to save it for later. Instead, I focused of running for the Pokemon Center.

.

It was definitely dark out by the time I walked through the door. The familiar sliding doors were a relief to see and going through them was nice, too. My breath was quick, but I got it under control pretty fast. Looking around the lobby, I noted not as many trainers were just sitting here.

My clothes were pretty wet, for the second time today. On top of that, I wasn't allowed any seconds. Meaning, this is what I had to sleep in. Hopefully they dried in time. Wishful thinking, right?

With a roof over my head, I had a chance to check my messages. The curiosity had been burning in my pocket, so I had to check it. I pulled out my Dex and flipped it open. I scrolled down my message board and opened the one that was flashing. I immediately noted it was from Sarah, so I had to read it.

 _You done yet? I'm heading back to the Pokemon Center. Just wanted to tell you, before you freaked out._

Freak out? Why would I freak out? I wasn't that heartless. Besides, it's not like we absolutely _had_ to be shoulder to shoulder 24/7. I started to type out a reply, telling Sarah I was already at the Pokemon Center, when I heard the doors open behind me. Turning, I saw that it was just the person I was about to message.

"Sarah!"

"Dragon Boy!"

We both spoke at the same time, making it hard to understand what we said.

"How'd you get here so fast? I left way before you." Sarah recovered from her surprise quickly, but a bright red blush covered her cheeks, making it obvious she was embarrassed. But I could also feel a burn in my face, meaning my entire face was probably red.

"I ran here. We probably took different routes, because I'm pretty sure I didn't pass you."

"Oh..."

"So... Are you hungry?" I felt my own gut telling me it wanted something to digest. It was about dinner time anyways, so I hoped she was in the mood for something.

"Sure, but can we not eat in the cafeteria? I was thinking something like Pizza, too."

"Pizza, huh? Well, I don't really feel like going outside again, you know?"

"You have a PokeDex, and it's the 21st century. You can order Pizza and they bring it straight to you. Magic." I had to stifle my laughter, but Sarah still saw it. She started pouting, but I held up my hands in defense.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think of ordering Pizza. But, just saying, you could have ordered it yourself."

"I don't have any money! How could I order a Pizza!"

"Woah, woah. Calm down, I'll do it." I opened my Dex phone, before I realized I didn't have the number of the pizza shop. Of course, all it took to get it was a little talk with the Nurse at the counter.

And fifteen minutes later, we were both eating pizza with Miltank sausage on it in Sarah's room. Unfortunately, it left me pretty much with empty pockets. Still, it was good stuff. Good cheese, almost spicy sauce, and delicious sausage on it. And I was eating it with a girl. Definitely worth it.

It also helped because Sarah seemed not as pissed off as before. Either one, her period was over, or two, pizza has magical powers. I was inclined to choose the latter, but the former was the most likely. Still, the meal was good, so it wasn't all that bad.

After finishing two and a half slices, I laid back on Sarah's bed while she sat on the small table. There were still a bit of Pizza left, but neither of us felt like eating more. Instead, we both just... relaxed. I'd thought about talking to Sarah, but nothing really seemed appropriate in my mind. Besides, after eating, I felt like I needed to chill.

"Hey, you're not going to fall asleep on my bed, are you," Sarah asked. I opened my eyes and sat up. Shaking myself, I realized I was close to doing just that. I blinked a few times to wake myself up, before looking at Sarah.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. Just... I should probably go to my own room, shouldn't I?" I jumped off the bed and started walking to the door, but Sarah stopped me.

"Wait, before you go... I just want to say I'm sorry, too. I don't mean to be a bitch sometimes, but sometimes I just have bad days and stuff. You know? And I don't mean to be better than others, I just can't help it."

"Yeah, I can understand that." I nodded and turned back towards the door. "We all have our issues, we all have our perks. That's what we are. Flawed. I know that I also have the flaw of letting my hubris get the better of me. I'm sorry, again. I-I guess goodnight." Turning away, I opened the door and walked out into the hall, closing it behind me.

Breathing, I walked to the door beside Sarah's and swiped my PokeDex. It opened the door and I stepped inside, sealing myself inside. Now that I was alone, I simply jumped on my bed and sighed. This entire day was confusing, and not to mention exhausting.

My clothes were mostly dry by now, but I still didn't feel comfortable. I'd emptied out my pockets and set everything on the table, but it still felt like I was missing something. To help clear my head, I entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. I let the hot water flow over my body and I relaxed.

Once I deemed myself clean, I dried and dressed myself. After that, I went back to lying on the bed. It was soft and comfortable, I guess. And it was a hundred times better than sleeping on the ground outside. So, why couldn't I fall asleep?

After a good half an hour of trying to get some well-deserved rest, I took out my PokeDex. Looking at the screen, I saw it had a message waiting for me. From my parents. Instantly, I remembered what I was forgetting. I was supposed to tell them I was going to be competing!

The message was useless, asking me where I was. I assumed it was from my Mom, so it was nice. But still kinda redundant.

I sent the message a few minutes later, informing my parents that my upcoming battle was coming up in a week. The fact of it was that I wanted them to see me battle, but while I was writing, I couldn't stand actually telling them. They'd know if I told them anything too important, so I kept it pretty vague.

Once I was finished with the message, I tossed my PokeDex off the bed. Laying back on the mattress, I exhaled and relaxed. Now that everything was taken care of, I could finally fall asleep. Cuddling against my pillow and closed my eyes, I pulled my blanket over my shoulder and fell asleep.

.

The next week passed pretty quickly. The weather turned colder and colder every day, but the sky also cleared up. Not once did it rain, or even snow. So, Sarah and I spent some time outside. I didn't do anything or make any moves on her, but the thought did cross my mind.

Instead, I spent most my time outside with my Pokemon, training, hunting for food and money, and developing strategies. Thorn worked on her Razor Leaf and Absorb techniques while Akuma worked on her Dragon fire and speed. I guessed she could work on her agility, but not enough to actually put a routine into effect.

Thorn actually made great progress to obeying me. Now, she would listen to my orders if she was in a good mood. Most of the time, she was. Development wise, her bud on her head seemed to shrink, while her body turned a pale green. But most of the evergreens and grasses turned to the same color, if they weren't a boring grey.

Sarah's mood improved vastly from the first day. She instantly started talking to me the next day, over a breakfast of cereal. She didn't really talk about much, other than info she was going to use, like how ice was powerful against rock and ground-types. It gave me hints on what she could use, but it was hardly something important to me.

My parents replied to my message with assurance they'd watch it on LeagueLive. It made me grin when I thought about them watching my battle, seeing my skills. I'd win, for sure. Of course, what would happen if I lost? I'd have to beg for money from my parents. And if that happened, I'd have to deal with them.

And with the approaching date of our battle, the nerves started to kick in. The thoughts about what could happen started to make me worry. Sarah seemed to deal with it differently, because she didn't really show it. I tried to hide it as well, but she seemed to notice it. Somehow. To calm myself down, I had to keep telling myself all that mattered was the outcome. When I already knew my strategy worked, it helped bring myself to my senses.

With all our hard work, all our preparation, Sarah's battle, and my own, was here. The morning of the Gym Battle was dark. The time of our battles were early in the morning, at nine. As such, I'd set an alarm on my Dex for half past seven. Sarah's idea.

It didn't take long to get ready, because I was excited. I'd made sure I was ready before I'd gone to sleep, so it was easy to just put on clothes and my bag. Once I'd put on my shoes, I opened my door and stepped out into the hallway. Knocking on Sarah's door, I checked my PokeDex.

Only twenty till eight.

Plenty of time and I was ready. I couldn't help but bounce on the balls of my feet. I was ready. Nothing would be able to stop me. Except that Sarah was still in her room. With time to spare, I took out my PokeDex. I sent a quick message to my parents, reminding them of my upcoming fight. Didn't want them to forget.

It took a good twenty more minutes, and a few wakeup texts, for Sarah to come out of her room. Her hair was a bit messy, but at least she was here. What matters is the outcome.

"Morning," She said, through a yawn. "Should we get going?" Sarah ran her hand, along with a brush through her hair while she walked past me.

"I thought we'd agreed to be up by seven forty five, not eight."

"Hey, I was awake. A girl needs more time is all."

"Right... Then why is your hair and clothes still a mess?" My comment made her look down and hurriedly smooth out her shirt. I smirked, before going down the stairs in front of her. But as soon as my face turned away, the worries started to show on my face

Soon after, we were having a pretty quiet breakfast of Braviary eggs and Moomoo Milk. Mainly because I was to busy trying to think about what to do. What kind of things would- Should I expect? It was all a mystery, even if I had watched a few fights before. I didn't know what to do, or what I should-

"Just calm down," Sarah said, grabbing my arm. "You're starting to hyperventilate. You just need to breathe and calm down." Closing my eyes, I started to breathe through my nose and slowed down. I open my eyes to focused on my eggs and took a large bite.

Once finished, I paid with the limited amount of cash I had. I'd made a fair bit from hunting over the week, but most of the Pokemon around Oreburgh were mostly worthless. And I also had to split some of the cash with Sarah, since she helped with Perry and Yami.

Outside was cold. Much colder than a hoodie could protect me from. As in, it's really cold. I really didn't enjoy it much at all. Sarah, on the other hand, had a poofier coat. And, at the same time, no money. It made me question if she really understood money. And now, I understood her decision. This was almost biting frost!

People didn't exactly feel inclined to see a match between a newbie and the gym leader, meaning there was almost never the crowd the later gyms had. At most, maybe a few rows of the bleachers were filled. As such, it was no surprise that there weren't many people itching to watch the battles.

Besides that, we were an entire fifteen minutes early. First time to a gym fight, best to be early. The doors were held wide open today, the large stone doors held open. It was nice and all, because I didn't have to open it. Sarah and I both walked to the front desk, my own receipt held in my hand.

It only took a few moments to get directions to the waiting room, the one reserved for fighters. The man behind the counter, who seemed the regular, told us we could have one of our Pokemon out, as long as they were smaller than us, and manageable.

Soon, we'd be going out there to fight, through an elevator leading into the stadium. Inside the fighter's pit, as I called it, was darker than the halls outside, but there was a screen on the wall showing the order of which our fights would take place. Sarah was first, and me after hers and some other kid named Joel. Still, I didn't see anyone else but us, but I still didn't trust Akuma to take some stranger coming in so well.

Instead, I just let out Thorn on the floor and sat down on one of the several metal benches. She seemed to fine with her surroundings, but she also seemed like she wanted to see the sun. More light and warmth of spring, probably. Funny, because I was just about done with the cold. And it wasn't even that cold yet.

I couldn't help but feel nervous. I was about to go out there and show them I was a real Pokemon Trainer, worthy of the Coal Badge. This was something I'd wanted for a long time, but now that it was here, I was having second thoughts. At the same time, I knew this was the best time, not to mention the only time, to do this. I couldn't stop my leg from bouncing, but I could steel myself for what was coming.

Sarah looked like she was also nervous, with Perry sitting on her head. She was wringing her wrists and tapping her heel, but I knew she'd do just fine. I hope. After a minute or so, she noticed I was looking at her and she met my gaze.

"You okay, Dragon Boy?"

"Huh? Yeah, I think so."

"Good, because you'd better win this. I don't want to be waiting her like everyone else, just because you lost."

"Yeah," I said, a nervous smile pulling at my lips. "Same to you. Besides, if we do lose, no way we can challenge again. Still, good luck."

"Thanks." A few seconds later, a stocky kid walked in. He looked at us, then our Pokemon, before laughing. I started glaring at him, with Sarah probably doing the same.

"What," Sarah asked, with malice dripping from her voice. "Just sit down and shut up, kid."

"Wow, I guess looks don't always mean they're nice. Eh, I doubt you two will make it far anyways, with such weak Pokemon. Not to mention, one of 'em's an electric. Ha! Worthless!" I shot daggers at the kid with my glare. He didn't really look at me, instead choosing to slouch on one of the benches and pulled out his PokeDex.

I looked back at Sarah, hoping to continue our conversation, but she'd gone to checking her Poketch. With that option gone, I turned to my Budew. She looked up at me expectantly, like she was waiting for me. It made me smile, so I carefully patted her on the head. Or, on the bud. Whatever.

Suddenly, the intercom turned on and called out for Sarah to make her way out on to the field. I looked at her, nodding at her. She gave me a thumbs up and returned Perry, before heading towards the elevator. I watched her until the doors closed behind her and took her to her fight.

The sounds of cheering was still loud enough to reach us down here in the pit, even if there wasn't the largest crowd out there. It still made me clench my fists. There would be people watching, which scared me. My leg bounced fasted and I looked to Thorn. She blinked at me from below and started walking around.

Voices of the crowd and the announcer weren't exactly comprehensible, but they sounded excited. The battle between Gym Leader Roderick and Sarah seemed to be getting underway and it was something that I would kill to be seeing. I wanted to watch the one match, but I knew it would cost more money. What can I say? I'm a hoarder.

After several minutes of waiting, a loud cheer rose out of the crowd, signaling the end of the match. And a minute later, the intercom called for Joel. The stocky kid walked into the elevator with his Nuzleaf in tow. I looked at the Pokemon he had as it looked to be made of wood. A grass type, no doubt.

I sat there, in silence while I watched Thorn as she wandered around. I was alone again. I listened to the noises of the crowds cheering again for Joel and the announcer saying... whatever. Some people above sounded excited or disappointed, once the fighting started, but I just focused of my own green Pokemon.

Halfway through the match, a boy walked in. He had wavy blonde hair, and he saluted me once he saw me. I nodded to him, and he smirked. He didn't look like he was too concerned with what he was wearing, as it was either wrinkled or didn't even match. I instantly decided I didn't like him. Looking at the board, I read his name as Miles.

After calling over Thorn, I lifted her up onto the steel bench beside me. Miles sat down across from me, in front of the screen with our names.

"Nice Budew. How long have you had him?"

"Thorn? It a she, and I've had her for about a month or so." Miles started laughing and I raised an eyebrow.

"Man, you are such a newbie. That is totally a male Budew. Don't you see the thorns on it are short? But it still looks like a great Pokemon, don't get me wrong."

"You mean, I've been calling a male Pokemon a female? Man, I feel stupid."

"Hey, a lot of people call the entire line feminine. And they aren't wrong. Still, they do have genders. Don't feel too bad."

"O-okay." I looked at Thorn and took in the fact it was a he, not a she. It took a bit of convincing, but I accepted it. Then I heard it. The crowds alerted me to the end of the fight, ending in a recognizable booing noise. I guessed he must have lost. And I was up next.

Standing, I returned Thorn to her- no, his Pokeball. Then I waited for the familiar noise of the Intercom. I wish, and I did receive.

"Challenger Kael Lorano, please make your way to the elevator and proceed to the field." I walked to the elevator as the doors opened and I stepped in.

"Good luck," Miles called, as the doors started to close. I gave him the same salute he'd given me before, and rode the elevator up to the stadium. I couldn't help but feel my leg shake and I held onto my last Pokeball. The repetative expanding and contracting helped calm me down.

A sliding door opened above me, allowing light from the sun, as well as the cold, to reach me. The noise of the crowds was louder than I'd thought it would be as I entered the field. It was time.

* * *

 **Okay. Does anyone think it's weird every time I say, "Akuma looked at me"? She can't see, but she can still hear and smell, and generally sense where a person is, turning to face them. Would that be considered 'looking'?**

 **Anyways, I was pretty excited for this chapter when I was writing it, while at the same time hesitant. I know no one felt really attached to Stein, but it still felt wrong to kill him. Yes, Kael turned into a baby about it, but it's how I thought I'd react to a partner I'd had for five days. They grew close-ish, even if I didn't go into detail.**

 **Also, Name reveal! And it's about to get real with the Gym Battle literally seconds away. Sorry for leaving it at that cliffhanger. I know, I'm evil. Mwa ha ha ha!**

 **Don't forget to leave a review!**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel


	8. Battle for the First Badge

**What is this? A week later, and I finally decide to start my next chapter? Ugh, I need to keep it together and stay focused... Alright. I got this. We left off with him rising into the stadium, so that's where we start. Good? Good.**

 **Please leave a review and stuff, because I hope you enjoy and I want to hear it... Or read it...**

 **Let's get this show on the road!**

* * *

The crowds cheered around me, and I felt my hands get sweaty. I was here. I'd dreamed of being in this very spot for several years and made strategies on how this thing would go. But it was all so different then what I'd planned for. For one, I didn't expect to rise out of the ground, into the stadium.

Once the plate beneath me stopped moving, I stumbled off of it. Then I had a chance to actually look at where I was. The ground around the field was mostly bare dirt, but the edges had patches of grass, and even a tree. Against the side was a single and small pool of water for any Pokemon that needed it.

Then there was Roderick. He looked like he was ready to get into a real fight, with two metal gauntlets covering his hands. His face wasn't too serious, but he looked prepared, standing in the middle of the field. And on top of that, he was super muscular. His arm was as thick as my head. At least. Good thing I wasn't fighting him, or his Pokemon.

"Challenger! Step up!" Obeying, I started walking toward Roderick with confidence. Even if I felt my hands practically dripping, I held my head with dignity. This was my opening debut after all. Had to make the best impression.

"Kael, right," Roderick asked, once I was close enough. "Like that green crap my Mom always fed me? Hah! Kid, you're parents must've hated you." His joke made me blush. As he laughed, the announcer's voice boomed out.

 _"The challenger and gym leader seem to be in a good mood, if their laughing like that! Now, link your Dexes!"_ Taking out my PokeDex was easy. I'd done it a hundred times. But how did I link it? Apparently, my face told the entire story, because Roderick took my hand and pressed my PokeDex to his.

Looking up, I saw the giant screen animate with two Pokeballs rolling to one side, with my picture taking up half of it. The other half had two Pokeballs as well, with Roderick instead.

 _"Now shake hands, and take you positions on the two sides of the field! Go on!"_ I held out my hand to the gym leader, before I nearly had it crushed beneath a steel glove.

"The rules are as such; Don't attack me, the crowds, and try not to kill any of my Pokemon, though I doubt you could. Besides that, Green Stuff, give it your all." Nodding, we both took our places on both sides of the field. They were pretty clearly marked with a white line, but with nothing to protect me, I felt a little nervous.

 _"The Challenger, Kael Lorano, has been a trainer for almost a month! This won't be as flashy as that last battle, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have a chance! He looks confident enough, so he must have a strategy! Let's see how this goes! Both trainers, let the battle commence!"_

Taking out my Pokeball, I released Thorn in front of me. She- He stood there with his leaves growing from his body. It seems he sensed it was a fight. I made a fist and gave my orders.

"Alright, Thorn! This it! The battle we've been preparing for! Now give it all you got!" I was ready. This was my only chance. If Sarah won, so could I. Even as Roderick released his own Pokemon, I was confident I could do this.

In a flash, a trio of Pokemon appeared. For only a second, I saw it was actually a collection of Pokemon. Wait, was that even in the rules? I was about to question it, but then the three burrowed into the ground and disappeared. Okay, that must be cheating. Still, this was the Gym battle. My only shot at this.

"Alright, Thorn! Move carefully! The enemy could attack from underneath at any time, so keep your guard up!" I hoped Thorn would obey me this time, since it was to impress the crowds, but I wasn't sure. "Remember, everyone is watching."

The small Budew, while not the fastest, was able to move along the ground quick enough. Fast enough to dodge the attack from the ground, at least. But, even though Thorn was fast enough to dodge, the three burrowing Pokemon dove back into the ground before he was able to hit them with a Razor Leaf.

 _"Oh, and the Challenger's Budew misses it's attack. Looks like Gym Leader Roderick's Dugtrio is too fast!"_

Gritting my teeth, I looked for a way too beat an opponent that went somewhere Thorn couldn't go. Still, there had to be some way to beat this Pokemon. Maybe not with speed like Yami, but Thorn was small. That should give an opening. An idea started to form as the Dugtrio tried to attack.

"Thorn, all you have to do it touch it!" I knew his namesake would help, mainly because they secreted poison. All that was required was to inject it.

The plan in my head went a little like brushing up against it in some epic manner. In reality, and unfortunately, Thorn allowed himself to be attacked in order to poison the Dugtrio.

It didn't take long for the effects to start showing up. The Dugtrio tried to burrow into the ground, but somehow it started to act strange, like it couldn't dig well anymore. I hadn't ever seen the effects the poison yet, but this seemed to be it. Though the method of injection wasn't ideal, Thorn seemed to have gotten off better than I'd thought.

 _"Oh, it looks like Roderick's Dugtrio is disoriented! I think the challenger's Budew's poisoned it! Let's hope his Strategy isn't for playing dirty!_ I shot a glare up into the stands, but I couldn't see any commentator. But there was a camera trained directly on me, so my expression was blown up on the large screen above.

"Hey, Green Stuff," Roderick shouted across the field. "Just because you have the advantage, don't turn away from a battle! Tremor, show him our trump card!" The fight instantly resumed, the only difference was that the Dugtrio was above ground. I quickly noticed the three were literally joined at the hip, fused together. Which _technically_ meant it was one Pokemon. A silly excuse for a trio of Diglett.

"Thorn! Use your leaves on it!" With the ability for ranged attacks, I'd hoped Thorn would be able to avoid any physical attacks, but it quickly became obvious the Dugtrio was just as fast above ground. It rolled into a ball and ran over Thorn beneath it. Since it was already poisoned, the poison injected was just redundant at this point. As the rolling trio of Digletts made a round the field, Thorn was left with his face in the dirt.

"Get up! Please, at least for one more attack! Then you can rest, I promise!" Rising up, onto his frail feet, Thorn faced the Dugtrio. It was still rolling around, but it seemed to be getting faster and unstable. Maybe it was the poison destablizing it, but it seemed collected enough to attack. This might have been the sign to recall Thorn, but I had faith. It might not have been the most well-placed faith, but I still held my ground.

As Tremor, the Dugtrio, got closer, it seemed to veer off course. Which was my opening. I called out to Thorn to prepare his leaves to attack. Two leaves quickly sprouted out of the Budew's body and stiffened to blades, just in time to launch them into the side of the Dugtrio as it- At last second, the burrowing Pokemon changed directions and steamrolled into Thorn.

I was almost in shock how fast it reacted. Luckily, it stopped rolling after hitting Thorn, but my Budew was left lying there in the dirt. And he didn't look too well, with a small fracture leaking a greenish liquid. "Thorn!" I quickly recalled him to his Pokeball by carefully aiming the laser. Once he was safe, I allowed myself to breathe again.

 _"It seems the Challenger's Budew is no longer able to battle! Will he send out his next Pokemon, or will he give up and come back another time? Wait, it looks like he's pulling out another Pokeball. What will be in this one?"_ I scoffed at the comments, but focused like Roderick had said. Taking a quick breath, I pressed the button on Akuma's Pokeball and released her a few meters in front of me.

The cheering of the crowd instantly wavered once they saw Akuma, a dragon. Even though she wasn't the largest, and definitely not the strongest, she still held the reputation of the Deino lineage behind her. That was enough to make some gasp in surprise. And she was my trump card, if we were comparing.

 _"Well, would you look at that!? The kid- I mean, the challenger has a Deino! Looks like this won't be such a walk in the park for Gym Leader Roderick after all! But, the real question is if he can control it! Not anyone can tame a dragon, after all!"_ Who hired this guy? Of course I can handle her, otherwise I wouldn't've sent her out in the first place. Groaning, I turned to Akuma, to prepare her for the fight.

"This is it, Akuma. This guy has a pretty strong Dugtrio, since it took out Thorn. Though it is weakened, don't let down your guard, okay? I'm counting on you, alright?" With the notion of a fight on our hands, along with noises from the weakened Dugtrio, Akuma spun into action. She seemed prepared, so I decided to call out my first orders.

As soon as I told her to use her strength, I heard Roderick command his Dugtrio to use it's Rollout again. I assumed that was the rolling attack it'd used against Thorn, but I knew Akuma wasn't the one to back down. She wouldn't even flinch, if I knew her. The brown trio began to collect itself as my Deino began to charge up a Dragon Rage ball.

A small smirk appeared on my face, mainly because I knew not many Pokemon could just walk away from one of Akuma's Dragon Rages. If this hit, which I hoped it would, it would be over. The Dugtrio compacted itself down into a ball again and started rolling. Which caused noise. Even with the noises from the crowd, it wasn't enough to distract Akuma's aim.

The bright blue ball of draconic energy was launched from Akuma's maw and raced towards the Dugtrio. With a clear target, as well as flawless execution, I assumed we had it in the bag. Unfortunately, I didn't count on it dodging it. Even while spinning, it apparently was still able to see well enough to dodge.

"Akuma!" I called out to my dragon, just in time for her to leap forward, directly into the path of the rolling Dugtrio. Just as they impacted, I watched at Akuma didn't stop the Dugtrio, but redirected it. While her horn wasn't effected as one, her head was still strong enough to send the burrowing trio up and over.

It seemed like the poison was taking it's final tolls on the Dugtrio. After landing in the dirt a meter in front of me, it remained motionless. Though it was prone, Akuma didn't stop her attack. I quickly realized what was going on. Even though she was used to fighting, I'd usually feed her the remains.

"Akuma, come over here!" She stood up and looked over to me, allowing me to take charge. A moment later, the Dugtrio vanished in a flash of light. With the target vanishing, my Deino ran up to me, acting very similar to Herdier back home with her mouth open and panting.

 _"Would you look at that! The challenger has beaten the Gym Leader's Dugtrio, making the score one to one! That's a pretty impressive Dragon he has, if it's able to simply toss that Dugtrio like that!"_

"Good job, kid," Roderick called out! Akuma turned to him, but I held a hand to her neck. "But this fight isn't over just yet! I still have one more card up my sleeve! One last trick!" I stood up straight when Roderick pulled out another Pokeball and released a small, yet shiny Pokemon. Looking at it, it looked like it was covered in armor. Just what Pokemon was it?

Luckily, I had a PokeDex to tell me that. I pulled it out and aimed the scanner at it. It took only a second, but a picture and name appeared on the screen. So, it was an Aron, the Armor Pokemon. Okay, that had to be cheating. Just who armors their Pokemon like that?

Looking back to the Gym Leader, I saw him squatting down in front of his Aron with his armor-clad hand near it's mouth. When the Aron took a heavy bite into the gauntlet, I couldn't help but gasp in surprise. Why would he let his Pokemon just bite him? Was it some form of contract or combat ritual?

 _"Looks like the Gym Leader is getting serious, if he's feeding his Aron his armor! This might get exciting if he's doing that! Let's see how the Challenger will handle this one?!"_ Feeding it his own armor? I guess any trainer going against the gym leader might get a chance to prove himself. If the leader was going through the effort to feed his Pokemon his armor, this must be mine. I did have a dragon, after all. Why did I always get the hard route?

"Sorry to keep you waiting! I think you get a chance to see my real trump card. You see, my Aron has a shell of armor! If I feed it my own armor, he can use it to thicken his own! Let's see you try and get through it now!" Now that was just unfair to the core. But, alas, his gym, his rules. Man, this sucks...

"Akuma, you got this. If you can't get through the armor with force, just burn it. Smoke it out of his Squirtle shell." Akuma advanced towards the center of the field while I called out to Roderick I was ready when he was.

In only a moment, the small Aron began to run towards Akuma. Though it was covered in heavy metal armor, it didn't seem that slow. While it didn't have any sharp spikes on it, it did have horns and ridges on it's back for some reason. It'd be best do avoid getting his by those.

Being the way she was, Akuma charged as well. It was like they were playing one game, Spearow. Unlike that game, they didn't even try to stop. Both collided with quite a lot of force, but only the Aron really survived that. The armor on it's skull helped to protect it.

Akuma, on the other hand, wasn't as tough as she thought. I was afraid her skull was damaged, but she seemed to get her feet under her pretty quickly. Following my orders, since she couldn't smash through the armor, she bathed it in bright blue fire. The Aron stood inside it as the flames tried to catch on the cold metal.

While metal didn't really burn that well, it did conduct heat pretty efficiently. And while it's armor was glowing red, it didn't seem to be that damaged. With it still standing, Akuma seemed to take offense by that and unleashed a Dragon's Rage point blank. It was hastily made, but it still made contact and exploded.

When the small Aron was still standing after that, I knew the battle was just about who's defenses would hold out longer. And since Akuma was the only one attacking, she was in the lead. But the fact that the Aron hadn't attacked yet made it a lot scarier. Rather than taking the risk, I called out for Akuma to keep it up.

Flames bathed over the armored Pokemon, but this time, the Aron didn't feel like getting a little hotter. It charged through Akuma's Dragon Breath and slammed it's head into her chest. It seemed to be more powerful than I'd thought because Akuma was thrown to the ground.

The attack didn't really hurt Akuma very much, but she was definitely pissed. Only when it jumped on her did Akuma start screching in it's face. While it was impervious to brute force, once Akuma's screeching started, it backed up. That left it open just long enough for Akuma to get back on her feet and brace for the next attack.

The force the small Aron had was enough to put Akuma on her hind legs, but she didn't fall back far enough to be left vulnerable. With a size advantage over the Aron, she could dive back down on it. With a maw full of blue fire, as well as a point blank target, it was pretty easy to hit the target.

Akuma backed away from her foe with her body rising and falling with her breath. I'd never seen her hold her fire for as long as she did. Considering it was a new move, it was pretty impressive. To finish it off, she charged up a Dragon Rage and let it explode over the motionless armored Pokemon. Looking back to the Aron, I saw it was cherry red and lying in a heap. I guess even with it's armor, it wasn't as resistant is it seemed to be.

That meant... I'd won!

Running across the field, I was nearly laughing out loud. Gym Leader Roderick returned his Aron to it's Pokeball, meaning Akuma didn't kill it. Which was a good thing.

 _"Ladies and gentlemen! Looks like the challenger has won his first gym badge, the second win of the day! Let's give it up for the great battle!"_ The crowd immediately started cheering. While there weren't very many, they were definitely loud. I followed the Leader's example and returned Akuma, before she could turn on the stands. I'd thank her later, once there wasn't anyone else around.

"Well, Green Stuff. Looks like you actually have a pretty good partner there. I didn't expect anyone to pull out a Deino as there secret weapon, so that was a nice surprise. I think you've got some potential. Seeing that you won, you're gonna be watched by people. Maybe even have some fans."

"Thanks, Gym Leader Roderick. I tried my best in that battle, so I hope it was alright."

"Kael, right? Well, your badge, as well as TM 76 will be at the main desk out front. Some prize money as well. Hope to see you and your Deino in some more Gym Battles. Later, kid." Taking that as my sign to leave, I made sure I had everything and adjusted my hood. My breath was coming pretty heavy, but I walked confidently from the field.

The halls were lit by small windows higher up, and the sounds of the crowds seemed to echo all around me. It made my head ring. It wasn't too bad now, but even with that small amount of people cheering, it made me almost scared to think how loud they'd be if there was more.

Sarah was waiting in the main lobby, with a small disc in her hands. Nodding to her, she pointed up to a monitor attached to the wall. So, she'd watched the fight. Man, that made me jealous. Still, it was nice to see her excited expression.

"Congratulations! That was a pretty good fight! I'm sorry about Thorn, but she should be fine." I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my head.

"Actually, I found out Thorn's actually a guy. Surprised me, too."

"Well, now you don't have an all girls team."

"What's wrong with having a full team of girls? Not that big of a problem."

"Whatever, Dragon Boy. You know you just want to have an all girls team so you can have the right to say you got a few."

"The hell? Are you serious? It's not like I care about that kind of stuff, you know?"

"Fine, but you should go get your prize, before someone else takes it." Laughing, I turned back to run to the main desk. There was the same man as before watching the place and manning the fort, but he looked pretty bored. After a quick glance at me, he forked over a stack of cash, a small plastic case with a disc inside, and a small metal badge.

After a quick ID check from my PokeDex, I was cleared to leave with a shiny new Coal Badge in my possession. It was all the proof I needed to say I was a true League trainer. Of course, I didn't know what I would do with the other stuff in my hands. I held two and a half thousand Poke bucks, as well as Stealth Rock. I didn't exactly have any Pokemon able to learn the move, but I knew Stein would have been able to use it.

The thought of my past Pokemon was enough to silence my excitement. My grin wasn't natural anymore, but I still forced it. For Sarah. I walked back over to her as she started heading towards the exit. Following me, we made our way to the Pokemon Center in the cold, to presumably collect our things. To be honest, I'd spent too much time here already.

.

Telling Sarah was probably the hardest thing about leaving Oreburgh. With a solid five thousand between us, getting a psychic to teleport us to Jubilife. It's not like the idea was very hard to come to. Traveling back through the Gate would bring back too many bad memories and with the cold temperature, I frankly didn't feel prepared to go further north.

"Hey, Sarah? When do you plan on leaving? After we get our Pokemon back, I plan on going back home for the winter holidays." After checking in our Pokemon to be healed, we'd had confirmation we could leave as soon as six, which is why I reserved a teleportation for two by seven. With snow probably right around the corner, I didn't want to be left with a hoodie and a simple blanket. And since Arceus Day was coming up, I thought it perfect to visit my parents.

"Well... Remember when you promised to see some of the sights? Since we have some time, I was thinking we should see the ones here in Oreburgh, before we leave. Not likely we'll return for a while." Promise? Three weeks ago, that's right. I'd promised to see _some_ of the sights.

"I guess now would be as best a time to see 'em. With the first gym down, I guess we could do that. Not like we have to rush for the next gym."

"Dummy, we didn't have to rush to this one either. We had three whole months to get the badge anyways. To be honest, I'm surprised we got our badges so easily. Looking at the rest of the trainers here, they've been working their butts off to beat Roderick and are still here. So, why'd we get ours so easily?"

"I would guess the typing. Remember how Thorn was taken out so easily, yet Akuma wasn't defeated so easily? I think most trainers just bring grass and water types, so the strategy he probably employed is geared for those types." It was the only reason I could think of that would explain our victory. They seemed more powerful than Akuma, yet they didn't really use it to their advantage. But, I would guess Yami just out ran them both for Sarah's victory.

"I don't know... We should focus on something else, though. I don't really want to talk about fight that much right now, you know? Just went through it after all."

"Right, sorry."

"C'mon, follow me." Taking my arm, I was forced to follow Sarah out of the Pokemon Center. Once outside, I put on my hat and tightened my scarf, then put up my hood. The cold air seemed to get chillier by the day, and today by the hour. I felt jealous of Sarah's more appropriate winter wear.

We passed most of the shops and apartments in town, heading towards the edges of Oreburgh. There weren't very many sights in the place, being surrounded by mountains and mines making it less of an ideal tourist attraction. The only real main source of interest to the town was the Gym. Not much else.

But there was one place. Once it came into view, I instantly realized what it was. The old Oreburgh coal mines. She wanted to see this place? As we walked past the rusted machinery and spray painted logos and names, Sarah moved closer to me. I would assume this was something of a.. I don't really know. Romantic, maybe? Or just spooky?

Either way, I didn't really like the place. Sure, I liked some creepy things, but this just felt... Dangerous. Which also came as ironic, considering I trained a dragon, but that was exactly why I felt uncomfortable. I'd taken Judo for years, but it'd been months since I practiced. Without anything to really protect me, I felt on edge.

Pair that with Sarah being so close, I couldn't relax. Still, I was a guy. Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself for it and walked with Sarah. I still kept my hand near my pocket, even though Akuma wasn't there anymore. The one Pokeball I did have would make it too obvious I was nervous, so going by habit of Akuma being there was the best I could do.

Past the stopped and empty belts that used to hold coal, the rusted mining drills, and to a cave entrance. I kept reminding myself we were just here to look around, not actually mine. Not like we were going down. But Sarah didn't stop.

"Hey, wait up. I don't think we should go in here. We already saw the place, so lets go. This place is giving me the creeps." It was hard to admit it, but it was better than letting her go in by herself.

"C'mon. Don't be a baby."

"I'm not being a baby. It's just caution. Without our Pokemon, it'll be hard to get out if we're lost. And if something attacks us, how could we protect ourselves?"

"... fine. I really wanted to explore this place, too." Pouting, Sarah followed me as I lead the way around the edges of the mine. For the most part, I could imagine the place back when it was in operation several decades ago. It did help to calm me down a little, but the place still had that feeling, like something was going to happen.

As soon as we walked past the fence of the mine, I finally relaxed. Seriously, something about the place seemed dangerous. I was glad to leave it behind. Though Sarah might not have felt the same, I was just excited to just leave Oreburgh. Of course, it would be a bit awkward to leave our Pokemon behind.

On the way back to the Pokemon Center, with the day still too early to take our Pokemon, we stopped to get a Miltank burger. It was still delicious as ever, a proper reward, if I do say so myself. It also took up a quick two hundred from my winnings. A fair price for the taste, and I had plenty of money to spare.

A nice little exploration of the mine, a tasty meal, and a shiny new gym badge in my bag. A good day to me. Sarah seemed to relax as well, but she looked like she was ready to relax elsewhere. To be honest, it was cold, but there was also an oven next to where we were sitting.

Finally, I made the decision and stood up. Sarah followed my example and stretched. For the next hours, until the dark, we just looked at shops. There was mostly just home items or food, but there were a few shops that were actually useful. One was a souvenir shop, where I picked up a small metal Deino keychain. It wasn't that big, but it was just something that fit my team.

Sarah picked up a keychain of an icicle, similar to the Snowpoint badge, and attached it to her PokeDex. Since my bag was still at the Pokemon Center, I just put mine in my pocket. After that, we wandered over to a shop selling Pokemon themed candy. It really wasn't money for anything, but buying two or three things would add up. Not to mention our health...

And finally, we stopped at a LifeCore store. LifeCore was a company focused solely on Trainers and their Pokemon, not the other way around. This made it a bit harder to find Pokemon supplies, like TMs and Vitamins, but it made things like saddles for flying and Pokeballs much easier to find. Companies like Devon Corp and BioTech from Hoenn and Kanto had tried to take over the market in Sinnoh, but they didn't make much ground. With BioTech being a newer company and Devon Corp only catering to the Pokemon.

Since I didn't really have a use for the TM in my pocket, I'd hoped to sell it, or at least exchange it. Sure, it was my prize. And, yeah, maybe one day I'd have a chance to use it, but for now I didn't care about it. Unfortunately, a lot of people do the same thing. The man behind the counter would accept the TM, but he wouldn't give me anything for it, other than the knowledge it would be returned to the gym.

With that idea out the window, I decided to browse the rows of TMs near the back of the store, right next to a magnetic belt to hold Pokeballs, and some of the fancy metal Pokeballs like Dusk and Timer balls. I liked the look of the Quick ball, but just looking at the price tag made me change my mind.

It also meant Sarah's Yami was worth at least a whole thousand. It made me wonder what, even how, she got that kind of money to spend on a single Pokemon. Looking back at the TMs, I saw a very few green discs for Thorn, but there was a few purple ones. Several little pieces of paper were attached to the TMs, to tell which move it is, as well as which Pokemon could learn it.

And a price tag.

I might have had the money in my pocket to pay for maybe one, but I didn't really want spend all of it on one TM. However, there were a few for Akuma cheaper than two thousand. The one I had my eye on was either Thunder Wave and Thief. Though Thunder Wave seemed strange for her, but it also made for an unexpected strategy. Though the Thief move looked good, I took the yellow disc instead and payed the 1,500Pb for it.

Sarah left the store empty handed, but I had a fresh new move to teach Akuma. By now, the sun was dipping towards the horizon. The sky was turning an orange color, so we decided to head back to the Pokemon Center. It wasn't too bad, even if I felt impatient. We walked pretty slow down the street as cars past by, but it also helped pass the time since we'd still be early.

The sun was still above the sky, as the light bled over the mountains, but street lamps were already turning on. We entered in through the familiar Pokemon Center doors and I enjoyed the warm air. Ah, heaters were the best...

The lobby only had a few people in it, including some guy sleeping on one of the couches. With nothing really to do, I sat down on one of the chairs. Sarah took the one near the wall and put her feet on the arm rest of mine. It was almost five, but I was feeling a bit tired. After beating a gym leader, who wouldn't?

Still, once I got my Pokemon, I'd be going to Jubilife. It was kinda weird to think about it, teleportation via psychics. I didn't know exactly what would happen, but at least I knew it was going to happen. Just... in a few hours. I wish I had Akuma to keep me company, since she made me feel calm, but she was exactly who I was waiting for.

Almost as habit, I took out my spare Pokeball as well as my PokeDex. While I started expanding and contracting the ball, I saw I had a message on my Dex. It was strange because I didn't remember it ever buzzing. Opening up the application, I saw it was from my parents.

 _Congratulations on the win! Sorry we didn't watch all of it, but we only started watching it just before your Budew was taken out. It's nice to see you've got a good grass type though. Your father was pretty impressed by the Budew, but he was pretty shocked when he saw your Deino. But don't worry, after seeing you handle her pretty well. I'm impressed as well. You're doing pretty well for being a trainer for only a month._

 _If you're heading to Eterna next, I guess you'll be heading through the pass. I hope you'll be safe up there. Be sure to stay warm. Also, you're girlfriend. I hope you aren't doing anything with her out there. We're trusting you to be an adult. We hope you'll focus on training so you can go up against the next gym leader. It took me four whole months to beat the second gym, so I hope you can beat my record._

 _We'll be watching your battles, all you have to do is message us and we'll watch them. Love you!_

My cheeks were practically glow in the dark while I was reading the message, but at least they watched the battle. That was all that really mattered to me. Still, the bit about me not stopping by Floaroma made me realize that Mom probably thought I wasn't planning on returning for a while.

It'd be quite the surprise for me to show up on their front door step. I quickly wrote a small message back, but I didn't mention a single thing about my plans. Just saying thank you, really. It was hard to hide my motives without sounding suspicious, but it wasn't too hard.

I started to fall asleep, before Sarah kicked me in the shoulder. I looked at her, but she motioned me to look at the front desk. The nurse behind the desk was trying to call for me over. I put my Pokeball and Dex away and walked over to the counter. I was a bit confused about what was going on until he pulled a tray out from underneath.

After showing my PokeDex, I picked up both of the Pokeballs with Thorn and Akuma inside. The nurse looked like he was done with his business, but I stopped him.

"Wait, when will my friend's Pokemon be ready? Sarah O'Perr?"

"Soon. Sorry, kid, but I can't give you specific details on another Trainer's Pokemon. Even if you're her friend." Nodding, I headed back to my seat. It was a bit early to get our Pokemon just yet anyways, so it wasn't really a surprise I had to wait. For the next several minutes I waited by just being patient. Until Sarah's Pokemon were returned, we couldn't leave.

For how long it probably took to heal Pokemon and how long they took, it was pretty ineffiecient. Made me wonder what they were doing this entire time. Finally, when the deadline came, Sarah stood up and walked up to the counter. After checking her PokeDex, they handed her a tray of her Pokeballs.

It was kinda frustrating how they remembered me and called me up. But Sarah had to wait when the Pokemon were clearly ready way before. Even after I reminded them, they still didn't call her up after that. Even over the intercom! With both our Pokemon in our possession again, I stood up from my chair and headed towards my room upstairs for the last time. I signaled to Sarah where I was going and ran up the stairs.

My bag was right where I'd left it, packed and ready to go. To be honest, if we'd left our Pokemon in the Jubilife Pokemon Center, it'd have been quicker. Better yet, over night. Still, taking my stuff, I ran down the stairs to lobby and passed Sarah on her way up. I nodded to her, before going to stand near the door after returning the card.

Both Sarah and I walked out into the night with all our stuff on our backs. I had my PokeDex out with a map displaying the location of our teleports. It wasn't exactly hard to find, just difficult to follow the directions. At some point, we got turned around and it took us several minutes to find the way again.

Finally, we met the man who was in charge of our teleportations. He looked to be a bit of an older guy, but he was still able to understand money. And we payed the full thousand each to get to Jubilife. It only took a bit of negotiating and confirmation to be allowed to be teleported, but soon enough we were standing next to him with his Gothitelle, which looked pretty tough to me.

Once we told the man we were both ready, the man started a countdown from five to zero. At zero, I felt like I was being sucked into a space just large enough for me. Maybe a bit too small. It was like putting on a rubber glove and sticking it in a pond. It only lasted for a second and suddenly I was looking at the Jubilife Pokemon Center.

"Woah..." Sarah gasped. Seemed like she was more comfortable with it. "That was amazing. A little weird, but cool all the same."

"Huh. Most people don't enjoy there first time teleporting. Seems you will be just fine if you ever catch yourself a psychic Pokemon." Scoffing, I was frankly just uncomfortable with the teleportation thing.

"C'mon, Sarah. Let's go. I'm getting hungry again, so we should go get some dinner." Being a bit moody, I stuck my hands in my pockets and headed towards the one Miltank burger stand we visited on the first visit. I hard a sharp clap noise and looked back. The man with the Gothitelle was gone already.

"Alright, fine Mr. Bossy. You know," Sarah said as she followed after me. "After seeing and teleporting, I want a psychic Pokemon of my own."

"Teleportation is really uncomfortable. Felt like I was being compressed. Like I was about to suffocate in there."

"You don't have to be melodramatic about it. It only took half a second, so stop freaking out. So, get yourself a Hypno or a Gothita for yourself and get used to it!"

"Geez, you don't have to be so pushy and aggressive about it. Fine, if the chance comes around, I'll catch one. Deal?"

"C'mon~! Teleportation is cool, you can't deny it."

"I'm not going to say I haven't thought about it before. Why do you think I asked for teleporting services? I just thought it would have been like a simple and instant thing, without the weird stuff." I stretched my arms out above my head as we walked down Shopping Street 8. Looking up, I stuttered in my step.

All the lamps and shops were decorated with Arceus Day banners and lights. It was almost to the point of ridiculous. I heard Sarah scoff behind me, which made me glance behind me.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing, I just don't celebrate Arceus Day. But taking the time off is alright."

"And yet you wanted to go see a Xatu shrine? Why is it that I celebrate Arceus Day, and I'm not religious. You are, and don't celebrate it. What's up with that?" I gave it a light laugh as we walked towards the burger stand.

"I've never really liked holidays in general. The only day I really like is my birthday. But I just don't like them. Been like that for years. Uh, one burger with a side of Leppa fries."

"Just a burger for me. I'm not one for the celebration parties, but celebrating something is fun. You can't say you've never partied with your friends back in Snowpoint. Everyone does it, at least at graduation."

"Not many friends back in Snowpoint."

"Well, I just made it awkward, didn't I..." We didn't talk much after that. I reviewed the entire conversation and realized it'd gone from teleportation to Arceus Day, to no friends. Instead, now we were eating Miltank burgers at a small table. Again, for the second time today. It might be good, but it was getting old. Getting back into the wilderness might be better.

Once I was finished eating, Sarah brought along her Leppa berry fries. They were a bit weird when I saw them, but after stealing one, I decided it was alright. We wandered around for a while, only looking at the several shops set up for the holidays. I thought about buying a gift, but my money was starting to look... sparse. For being something of a hoarder, I was really hurting for cash.

Soon, it was time to turn in. We headed back to Pokemon Center and walked inside. It only took a few minutes to get a key for rooms, but we were told we only had one last night or we'd have to sleep on the streets. Nodding, we took the cards to our rooms. They weren't right next to each other, but they were on the same floor.

We didn't have much to say to each other as we went our separate ways for the night, but Sarah said something I didn't like.

"So, I'm going to message my Dad and see if I can get a ride home. I'll tell you whether or not it's a success or fail. Good night." Oh, great. Now I wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight. Still, I repeated the good night and swiped my card. The door opened for me and I closed it behind me.

So much for getting a good nights rest...

.

The morning came too soon. Not very quickly, but I could say I needed more sleep. Instead, I forced myself off the soft mattress to get the day started. And it all starts with a wake up call from Sarah. She knocked on my door and called my name. I groaned about it while making my way to the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I said as I opened my room's door. "I'm getting up, so don't beat down my door."

"Looks like someone didn't sleep too well. That comfortable bed starting to get boring for you?"

"Shut up. Not my fault you left me with a cliff hanger. Seriously, you could've just said good night and told me about it now. I'm going to get ready and I'll be out in a few minutes." Without waiting for a response, I walked into the bathroom and splashed water on my face.

Looking in the mirror, I saw the tiredness in my eyes. I ran my hand through my hair and rubbed my eyes. Stretching my arm, I walked back to the main room. I rubbed my scar on my forearm while I looked at my bag. I didn't really know what to do, but I decided to change my shirt.

With a fresh grey shirt and my grey hoodie, I opened my door again. Sarah was leaning beside my door when I walked out.

"Well, if you want, I'll tell you what my Dad said. If you still want to know." I looked at her almost sarcastically. "I've got a ticket for a train leaving tonight at nine thirty. So, I'll be home by tomorrow."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing, right?" Inside, it didn't really click for me before that she was leaving. Not that I wasn't happy for her or anything, because I was leaving as well. Going back home. I guess that meant she would do the same. Should've seen that coming. It might have shown in my face, because Sarah laid her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry," she said. "You have my PokeDex number. If you want to meet up, just call me or something." I nodded, but I still felt bad about it. It might have been selfish of me, thinking that she could stay beside me the entire journey. Shaking myself, I tried to make a smile, but I probably failed miserably at it.

"Don't be too down about it, Dragon Boy. There's still a whole day to get through." Sarah started walking away, but I didn't want to say goodbye. Of course, she did have a point. We did still have the whole rest of the day together. Shaking my head again, I focused on that instead. I couldn't just keep moping around.

Keeping my good mood wasn't as easy as usual, but I managed to keep it up. Several hours of simple smiling while Sarah and I walked around town. There wasn't really much else to do, as we'd already explored the place before. We browsed the Arceus Day stands and shops along the streets and in squares.

We didn't buy anything, as Sarah and I had little money as it is. And since Sarah didn't celebrate the holiday, she didn't have an interest in buying anything. The thought for buying one as a gift had crossed my mind, but nothing was really clicking as the right one. None of them would really mean much, if nothing at all.

Akuma, Thorn, Yami, and Perry were let out when we both went outside the boundaries of Jubilife. We did a small training session to help improve our skills. Before letting out Akuma, I inserted the TM I'd bought into my PokeDex and taught her Thunder Wave. It wasn't really an attacking move, her forte, but it was still pretty useful.

While I spent the majority of the time teaching practicing with Akuma's new move, I did also try to help Thorn in his training as well. Though Thorn was still small and young, I wanted him to be strong, yet graceful. He would make a good show Pokemon, as well as a fighter. It was a plan in the making, sure, but it would help in the long run.

The progress Akuma made in learning the new move. At first, all she could do is make a few sparks from the fur on her neck. After three hours of training, her electricity could travel outwards for about a meter. It was strong enough for me to feel a tingle in my arms and legs when I was practically right next to her, but it wasn't enough to paralyze. Not combat ready yet.

Yami and Perry worked with Sarah and I to help either test Akuma's Thunder Wave or test Yami's dark powers. Since Akuma held dark powers, it helped to teach Yami hers, even if Akuma didn't have very much control over that part of her powers. The most she could do was bite something with dark fangs.

Still, once it came time for dinner for our Pokemon, we were forced to hunt for something. Buying something for either a butcher or a Pokemon care shop. Instead, we had to settle for whatever we could find. Unfortunately, with cold weather setting on, most Pokemon won't come out of their dens.

At least, anything small enough for us to properly hunt. Anything else would be a fight. It wasn't anything I was willing to do, as any harm to my Pokemon would take several hours going through the Pokemon Center. Hours I didn't have. Not really.

We had to venture out into the woods outside of Jubilife to find anything. The trees around Jubilife weren't as close as Oreburgh or Floaroma, so in order to find anything, we had to go further than simply outside the boundaries. In fact, we had to go out for almost half an hour to find trees. It took Yami only a few minutes to find anything, and he tracked it down quickly. Within five minutes, Yami dove into some bushes.

A few seconds later, he appeared again with three pieces of a Bunneary in his claws. Apparently, to kill it, he'd simply sliced it apart. He walked up to Sarah and handed her the remains of the Bunneary and backed away. A trail of blood was left behind, dripping from his claws and the body parts.

We decided to split the meat while Perry searched for berries. Thorn had been returned to his Pokeball while he only needed sunlight for nourishment. Akuma enjoyed her share of the meat, a larger portion mind you, while Yami ate his. It left them a bloody mess, especially on Akuma's account. It wasn't exactly pretty, but she didn't care.

Yami, however, was not too thrilled about blood covering his claws. He quickly rubbed his claws against a nearby tree to clean them, leaving several gouges. If anyone found them, we'd probably get into some trouble. Soon enough, Perry returned with a few berries. And with one stuffed in his mouth.

With the sun setting lower and lower in the sky, it was time to head back. Maybe not for a train, but because it'd be difficult to find our way out of the forest in the dark. We made our way to the more grassy areas nearer to Jubilife, our Pokemon safely in our pockets. No need to scare people with bloody Deino and Sneasel.

We waited around for several hours, trying to have fun while we could. I kept up my guise, talking about whatever Sarah did. It probably didn't help my knowledge on whatever we were talking about wasn't that great, so when she asked me a question, I just nodded. Great communication. Usually, I just let Sarah do the talking. I just talked about Pokemon and stuff.

The sun set and we were able to get some food back at the Pokemon Center. It wasn't the most delicious grub in the world, hell the city, but grub is grub. I think it was noodles with Spoink chunks, but I didn't really know what kind of meat it really was. Just what it tasted like.

After dinner, Sarah and I talked for a while, until I looked at the clock. Just after eight, meaning her train left in about an hour. Seeing me check my clock, Sarah did the same and came to the same conclusion. It was time to go.

"Well, I guess I should go get my things. Better to be early than to be late, right?" Nodding, I agreed with her. Sighing, she stood up from our table and went upstairs. I followed and she glanced behind her. Seemed she understood why, because she didn't question me.

I went to my room, she went to hers. We didn't exactly have anywhere to store our things other than the rooms, even if we couldn't sleep in them. Just storage, for what they were worth. I quickly grabbed my own bag and left the room. And then I met up with Sarah near the stairs. Her familiar large blue bag on her back, we walked down through the lobby and out the doors.

.

Getting to the train station was easy, but it took a while. It was near the edge of the city, mainly because it dealt with trains, but I didn't remember it being so far away. But we soon made it to the station. I checked the ticket being displayed on Sarah's PokeDex with her and made our way inside.

It was strange seeing the interior again, being the same bland white and grey as always. Sarah looked around at the six main rails. I followed her gaze, realizing I didn't really look around the last time I was here. Of course, at the same time, it's not like I was missing much. Probably the most impressive part of the entire station was a statue of Dialga holding the clock piece.

"Well... Looks like that's my train." Sarah pointed to the last train. Nodding, we walked over to the platform. I was hesitant to go up to the train, but I knew it was just selfish.

"So, what do plan on doing over the holidays," I asked calmly. "I plan on just training and the celebration, but what about you?"

"I'm going to train, too. For the Eterna Gym. I'm not going to challenge for a while, but it'd be nice to help my Pokemon grow stronger. Because in the Spring, a lot more trainers will be on the roads, meaning a lot more challenges."

"Yeah... I'm kinda hoping for it, since it helps with experience. It also could be a source of income. If I don't lose." I tried to play it off as a joke, but Sarah didn't laugh.

"Trainer battles aren't the same as Gym battles. People and Pokemon are much more liable to die since there isn't anyone really watching. Just... be careful, alright?"

"You too. I want us both to make it through the circuit. Maybe then we can have a Pokemon battle?" When Sarah laughed at that, it caught me off guard.

"Why battle then when we could battle sooner? Maybe... When we see each other again, we should see who's training method is better. Snowpoint or Floaroma. Deal?"

"Sure," I said, while Sarah started walking toward the Train's open door. "Wait! I plan to leave Floaroma sometime in late January to early February. Maybe we could meet up and go through the Eterna Forest together?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think so. I need some time on my own, take the journey by myself. You should understand."

"Well, you don't have to spend it alone. You could crash at my place and we could still take it together."

"Look, I know what you're saying. I do. And I like you, don't get me wrong." So she knew. "I get where you're coming from, and I'd love to take you up on the offer, but who knows what will happen in the future? I think it'd be best if we didn't travel together, just for a while."

Those words felt harsh, like a needle was being injected into my chest. The feeling from there spread and I felt my arms start twitching. I knew what this was.

"But we could still meet up some time," Sarah said, stepping onto the train. "I like traveling with you, and it's been fun so far. I'm sure we'll get the opportunity to again."

"Alright," I said, hoping. "How about meeting in Eterna by February? Then we could challenge the Gym together, you know?"

"I'll see, but I don't know if I can make it there by then. I'm not that impatient, so I don't really plan on leaving that soon." I nodded, just as the whistle on the train sounded. This was it.

"Stay safe, Sarah." I held out my forearm, traditional Floaroma style. She smirked and did the same. We touched forearms as the door began to close. I had to jerk my hand back before it got stuck.

"You too, Kael," Sarah said, right before the door hissed shut. I waved a quick goodbye as the train began to move and I started walking down the platform. The only thing left to do was leave and get back on the road. I'd been away from it for too long, and like Sarah had said, I was getting impatient.

The air was colder in the dark, so I tried to pull my hat lower and scarf tighter. Soon enough, I walked over a bridge, over the rails. My chest felt tight and I felt just like when I lost Stein. While I didn't cry, I did feel sad. Still, I didn't feel like sticking around, so I broke out into a run away from Jubilife.

.

Later, I found a good spot outside of Jubilife city, about two miles away, to set up camp. When I dropped my bag off, I let out Akuma so we could collect wood. I swear it was getting to be freezing temperatures. No doubt it would snow soon. Hopefully I could get home before then.

Akuma wasn't the one built for the cold, like Yami, but she was able to stand it well enough. She did have fur to protect against the air. When I told her to help collect wood, she was a bit reluctant to do work in the cold. After I told her it was for a fire, though, she snapped into action. Using her jaws in the absence of hands, she dragged the largest log she could find to the pit I'd made.

"Good job, Akuma. But next time bring me something a bit smaller?" I planned to use whatever she brought, but if she kept bringing me trees, I'd never get a fire going. Getting the picture, after giving Akuma a smaller branch, she began to bring back usable branches.

Soon enough, both Akuma and I had collected enough wood to start a fire. Of course, to start it, I pulled out a set of flint and steel from my bag. Scrapping the flint, it sent sparks across the dry leaves I'd placed around the wood. It took a few tries, as well as Akuma getting in the way to sniff the smoke, to light the fire.

It was pretty late by the time I laid out Sarah's blanket. Akuma recognized the scent of the blanket and laid down near me. For now, I sat down on it, taking off my hat and scarf. Even though I was tired, I couldn't sleep. At least, I didn't want to. Akuma went straight to sleep, but I just didn't feel it. I just wondered about Sarah.

She'd known I liked her, or so she said. Ever since we met, I'd been suppressing my crush on her. She also knew the dangers of actually getting into a relationship together. If we got too close, and if something happened to either of us, it wouldn't be that bad. It wouldn't get in the way.

After the Gate, I must've mistaken our relationship. I'd started to get careless. Now, I'd forced us to separate, and the next time I faced her, it might not be the same. Maybe it was for the best, but I hoped it wasn't. I liked the way she'd helped me my first day in Jubilife, when she herself didn't know how to help me. She was kind, pretty, and smart.

I took the time to actually examine my relationships, to see exactly how close I was to my friends. For Akuma, I was her trainer. I helped her, looked after her, and told her what to do to become better. Stronger. And I was also the only parental figure she'd ever had. For Thorn, it was similar. I'd caught him about a month ago, but I'd already helped him improve. And after leading him to victory, even though he'd been knocked out, he'd been congratulated as an equal to Akuma.

For July, though I hadn't seen her for a week, she was still my friend. I think. She probably thought I wasn't relevant, and more than likely already forgot about me. We'd traveled together for about a week before, but we'd only talked a few times.

And then there was Sarah. I realized we weren't that close. Even though we'd been traveling together for a month, it had felt longer than that. Which was probably why I'd overestimated how close I was to her. The last thing I remember, right before I fell asleep, was saying to myself how stupid I was.

.

In the morning, a chilly frost covered the surrounding grass and trees. I shivered, even though I was under a blanket and right next to Akuma. Getting up, I poked the ashes and considered starting the fire, but I decided not to. It'd cause too much trouble to put it out.

Instead, I bundled up and woke up Akuma, who was still sleeping. I nudged her with my foot, which was enough to make her try to bite it. Still, it woke her up. Once she realized it was me, she hung her head. It made me laugh, so I just patted her head. Forgiving her.

Soon enough, we were heading out onto the route to Floaroma, Route 204. Akuma was happy to be moving again, and it was satisfying to be moving again. The path was new to me, having took the train before. Even after being a trainer for such a short amount of time, I was starting to feel comfortable with the journey, no matter how cold it was.

I didn't like the cold, or the heat for that matter. Just a preference. While moving, even at a walk, the cold started to become something of an annoyance more than an actual hindrance. I held my hood closed with the strings and made sure my scarf was tight, which helped as well.

Trees without leaves were all around. Some of the trees were evergreens, but most lost their leaves a while ago. It made for less interesting scenery, but they were still trees. Come spring, the entire path would look gorgeous. Still, we passed them on the way towards Floaroma.

Akuma was pretty happy with just being able to scout out the path with her senses. It was good practice and kept her out of my hair. For the most part. She sometimes startled wild Pidoves in the trees or angered a Zigzagoon burrow, and I had to deal with it. Luckily, my knife came in handy. It felt strange to be holding it again, but the rubber grip was natural. It helped that the shape was formed to fit a human hand.

It was rare to see anyone on the path, this time of year they were either heading to Hearthome or training. That, or preparing for the upcoming holidays. When I did see someone, they either weren't in the mood to battle, or didn't even want to talk to me. They had business of their own.

I knew, as a trainer, you could demand a battle. It was something I was hesitant to do, because I had Akuma. Not many want to face off against a dragon. I didn't get my first Pokemon battle on Route 204 until near dusk. An younger boy wearing shorts called me out.

The fact he was wearing shorts in the late fall was just crazy. And since he'd challenged me, I wondered if he was even cold at all. When I walked up to shake his hand, I noticed his arm was stable. No shaking or shivering. It almost made me feel envious.

When he sent out a Drowsee, I almost laughed. Still, Akuma was my choice. I wouldn't go easy on an idiot. Young kids need to learn to pick their fights wisely. Even I knew that and I probably wasn't more than a few months older than him. A Psychic wouldn't last very long against a dark type, so a grin formed on my face.

What scared me was the kid's grin. He should've known as well as me, the fact he'd lose. Yet why was he smiling like that? I told Akuma to attack with her flames and bite it as many times as possible. The boy didn't even say a thing when the Drowsee sprung into action.

Once the Drowsee started waving it's hands and humming, Akuma started shaking her head. She didn't stop, but the humming seemed to be distracting her. Once in range, since the Drowsee wasn't moving around, she manifested shadowy fangs to bite it. Even though it was now bleeding out of it's side, it still moved it's hands and hummed.

Soon enough, Akuma let go of the Psychic and dropped to the ground. Asleep. The Drowsee had used it's signature move, Hypnosis. But that wasn't what surprised me most. While I called to Akuma to wake up, the yellow Psychic dropped a double karate chop on her.

While she was asleep, under the Psychic's control, she flinched in pain. I called out to Akuma louder before wondering what the kid was planning. It seems I'd underestimated the kid. I took out Akuma's Pokeball and returned her. Though it wasn't that great of an idea, I sent out Thorn against the Drowsee and let Akuma out next to me.

Thorn was immediately put into action. It seemed like he wasn't too happy about being in the cold, but seeing the enemy ahead, he knew what to do and acted. Two green blades grew out from him and he threw them at the Drowsee. One hit it in the snout, the other left a red gash near it's leg, standing out against the brown of it's skin.

While the attack seemed to have injured it, it was not close to actually defeating it. The boy didn't say a word, but I liked his silence. Otherwise, he'd most likely be telling me how sweet his Pokemon was, since he was winning. Hopefully, I could beat this Drowzee quickly.

With poison and spores at his disposal, Thorn could probably beat it in time. However, time was not kind. When Thorn tried to get close, the Drowsee began humming and moving it's arms in a erratic motion. It made Thorn fall and flinched, but he quickly recovered and released a cloud of yellow spores.

It begins to cough and spasm as it's muscles react to the spores. It was obvious the spores were annoying it, but for the most part, he could still move. Using it's powers, it began to attack Thorn with unseen hands. Reaching out with a tentacle, Thorn stabbed into the cut he'd made on the Drowsee's leg.

Though Thorn was hurting, with poison dripping unnaturally out of his thorns, he was still able to attack. I was even impressed. Watching, I saw the Drowsee begin to get tired while Thorn continued to with his tentacle. A flow of energy and possibly blood was transferred to Thorn, which repaired injuries as they opened.

Beside me, Akuma began to stir. Looking over for a second, I saw she was about to attack the Drowsee. While I would like to double team the Psychic, it was against the rules. I held Akuma back by grabbing her fur. She whined, but I guessed with Thorn on the field, it was his turn to fight. But I had to keep my eye on the battle.

It seemed to be a winning move, stealing the Drowzee's health, but after a few seconds it became obvious Thorn couldn't restore everything. His green body, while it was already paler in the winter, was becoming even lighter. It seemed that it would end with me losing, but when the Drowzee vanished, I sighed in relief.

Quickly, I returned Thorn to his Pokeball. He'd need to recover his health and strength before I'd train or battle with him. With Akuma by my side, I approached the kid in shorts. He still looked pretty confident for losing. Of course, he was also wearing shorts. No sane person could wear shorts this time of year, so I didn't say anything.

"You're pretty good. My Streis had a pretty tough time with your Budew. Thorn, you called it? Anyways, pretty good. Good strategy to heal faster than Streis could deal damage. Anyways, here's your cash." The boy pulled out his wallet and handed me 500 Pb. I took his money and pushed the money into my pocket.

"Hey, how'd you battle without saying a thing? It seems pretty special."

"Really? Man, my Pokemon is a Psychic. He talks to me in my head during the battle, so there's no need to talk at all. Helped me when I was catching him."

"Like, telepathy? I thought only more powerful Pokemon and trainers did that, battled without saying anything. That, or payed the money for that new translator chip. What was it called again?"

"No, you really are a newbie. Most Psychic Pokemon can use telepathy. But it's not like wild Pokemon can simply understand us instantly. They need to be taught to understand us. Lucky for me, Streis already knew how to."

"That's pretty cool. Anyways, good battle. Hope you do well. And don't catch a cold." Waving goodbye, Akuma and I went on our way down the route again. Back to the same boring scenery. My heart was still pumping heavily, but I stayed calm instead of yelling out my success.

.

That night, I set up camp near a small cliff. It wasn't that big of a drop, but it would be a difficult climb. I set to either breaking limbs off trees or collecting sticks from the ground for the fire. Akuma helped out by dragging over larger branches. She was intent on helping since Thorn had out preformed her.

Once I had a pile of sticks and dry grasses ready to be lit, I grabbed my knife and spare Pokeball before hiding my bag under some rocks. The cliff offered enough protection for that. Akuma heard me leaving, and quickly followed me into the trees.

It took a few minutes of looking around and Akuma's good nose to find a meal. It wasn't much, but all we had to do was stomp over a Rattata den. Three ran out to defend their nest, only to meet the fangs and claw from Akuma and I. I didn't stick around long enough to see if there were any more. I already had the meal planned out.

We returned victorious hunters and I quickly set to work striking the flint with steel. While it was hard to catch, the sparks eventually took to the grass and started burning at the wood. Soon enough, the fire was large enough to work with.

In the mean time, I got to work trying to skin and gutting the Rattata I'd kept, having feed two of the three to Akuma. It'd been a while since I killed something, so getting back into it made me shiver and slip with the knife. The rest of it went smoothly and I pulled off the skin in three parts. I'd almost fed the skin to her as well, before remembering that anything from a Pokemon had value.

After a quick impalement, I set to the boring process of cooking the meat. I had to watch it carefully, since it was a small creature, I had to be careful not to burn it. Or accidentally drop it. That'd be bad. While I didn't have much in terms of spices, I did my best to make the taste better. Grasses, berries, anything I had.

While the grass was a pale color, it was still a lively green. Sorta. I tore it up before it was thrown on the meat and I turned it. Some of it fell and burned in the fire while the rest was cooked into it.

After staring at a fire for so long, I was almost blind when I took the Rattata away. Sitting on one of the logs Akuma had dragged over, I realized I had no plate, no fork, nothing except for a bottle for water. A bit uncivilized, but I just shrugged and sank my teeth into the leg of the meat.

It wasn't too bad, but it was still a bit tough. It wasn't really that tasty like Miltank burgers, but I guess it was just a Rattata. Nothing special, not a tasty meat, I guess.

After eating enough for my fill, Akuma was always hungry. She happily ate what I didn't, which was close to about half. There honestly wasn't much meat on it to begin with, but it was meat. And Akuma was always hungry for meat. She sniffed my hand once she'd finished her Rattata.

I had to use my water bottle to clean up, but it made my face and hands feel like they were freezing. To warm up, I sat next to the fire to keep the cold away. Akuma, however, wanted to do something. She nudged my arm and made a weird sound. I smiled all the same. For a vicious dragon with blood on her face, she was pretty cute.

Telling her to do exercises was the only thing I could really do. Happily, she began to charge up electricity in her fur. I'm not exactly sure how it worked, but watching the hair begin to stand up made it clear what she was doing. Because she was right next to me, I felt a tingling in my arms in legs and made my fingers get twitchy, but it still wasn't very powerful.

Considering she'd only learned the move yesterday via TM, she was making great progress. I know I should've been proud, but I wanted it to be more powerful. It was supposed to stun the enemy, not give them electrotherapy. Instead, I ordered her to give it more. Push for something stronger. It looked like she was struggling to keep it up as she was, but she still tried.

All I got was a few more twitches in my arms before Akuma stopped. Her breath was coming quickly, but she still seemed eager to please. So, I told her to try her fangs at one of the trees for a while. Immediately, she ran to one of the trees and bit into it. I smiled before looking back into the fire.

There were too many things I was worried about while I was alone. Sarah and Akuma, I'd grown dependent on them both. Now, I needed to be on my own, like I'd originally planned. Of course, things, they don't always go as we expect. Hell, Akuma was never something I expected, but at least she worked out with only a few scars.

The embers rose out of the ashes when one of the branches snapped in half. Picking up one of the sticks from my wood pile, I poked at the ashes and ended up lighting the end of the stick on fire. Looking at it was fine enough, so I let it burn itself out. Once it was out, I started waving it around. The inside was revealed to still be burning, so it left blazing lines in my vision.

I played around with the burning stick for a while, until it stopped leaving lines. Then, I broke it in half and tossed the pieces into the fire. An extra log was placed on top, just to help it burn longer. I felt my chest, finding my heartbeat. Why did it still hurt? Why did I still feel bad about it? What was it that I could've done, could've said, to make her stay?

Suddenly, a sharp crackling noise came from behind me. I turned back to see Akuma still gnawing at the side of a tree, almost half way through the trunk of a huge tree.

"Akuma, stop. That's great work for today. Hopefully you'll get a real chance to battle tomorrow, alright?" She came over to me, still breathing hard and laid down next to me. I smiled and rested a hand on her neck, slowly moving it through her rough fur. It helped me calm down and focus my thoughts away.

As if sensing my thoughts shifting, Akuma lifted her head and sighed. Her weird sounds always were cute, even with the mess on her face. Now that I was looking at her, I decided it best to wash it off before it was a problem. I took out my water bottle and dumped most of it on her face and used my hand to pick off anything not Akuma. The rest I scrubbed off by hand.

She complained about the rough treatment, but I didn't have that much water. I had to get her clean, clean enough so I could sleep with her. I needed a dragon's warmth this time of Winter. I'd freeze otherwise.

After she was deemed clean enough, I helped her dry off with my sleeves. She seemed to enjoy being dry again, but she also seemed mad at me for making her cold. She tried to nip at my hands, but only managed to smack her face into my chest. I was lucky her horn was just for show.

Though the impact still knocked some wind out of me, I still knew she was only playing. So, I played back, making sure not to get too close to the fire. We pushed each other until my arms started feeling funny about fifteen minutes later. That's when I decided to call it a day.

I laid out the blanket and sat down on it. Akuma recognized it and walked over to me, collapsing on the blanket. Before wrapping myself in it, I checked my PokeDex for messages. There wasn't anything really of interest, so I put it in my bag and allowed Akuma to get comfortable before covering myself with the blanket.

Soon enough, the darkness started to draw me closer and I fell asleep.

.

 _The sounds of crackling and crunching sounded around the red forest as a large black and yellow feline stepped out of the trees. Constantly, the sound of something on the verge of shattering, cracking and snapping. Almost as if I was awake, I looked around for the source of the sound, but there was nothing._

 _All that I could see was the Luxray coming closer. It seemed to be larger than any other Luxray ever, but seeing it right there still made fear course through me._

 _As I tried to turn and run, I felt like syrup was swirling around my feet. I glanced back and only had time to see the jaws of the electric cat close down around me and the sound of cracking got louder. Lines crossed my vision as it felt like my head would split in half._

Almost crying out, I sat up in a cold sweat. My breath came in heavy pants and I shivered in the cold air. Akuma made a weird noise, but just rolled over. She was too busy sleeping to care about a dream.

I thought back to my dream and the moment I'd lost Stein. No tears came, I was past that, but it was still a depressing thing to think about. I didn't remember exactly how large the cats were, but I knew there'd been three Luxio as well. It seems like my mind is finding more ways to haunt myself.

Yawning, I decided to do something rather than fall back to sleep. While I was probably old enough to not be scared of nightmares, I knew I didn't want to go through that again. Being killed in a dream is still scary, no matter how old you are. And it was so vivid. It was as if it was real pain. The sounds were the same from the moment Stein shattered, replayed.

I'd thought since I'd buried him, Stein's soul could be at rest. As much as I tried to deny the religious side of it, I couldn't let go of the idea of souls. Putting them in the ground was just something you did, but laying them to rest was something of a religious thing, after burial. Shaking my head, I tried to shake the thought of a spirit haunting my dreams.

It's ridiculous, I know, but there were Ghost Pokemon. They were something of the supernatural, so it happened all the time. I just didn't want to think my Geodude died in some tragic way, the reason behind why I'd been having these dreams.

After a quick slap to the face, I dispelled the thought. I wasn't one for thinking these things out. Why was I worrying over a few bad dreams? The most likely caused was stress or something. Why was I so worried. I poked at the ashes and stared at the dimly lit clearing.

It was still dark, but the sky was a dull grey color with clouds over head. I had to check my PokeDex for confirmation, but it was only a few minutes passed six. While it was an idea to reignite the fire, it'd be a pain to stamp out. So, I settled by wrapping my blanket around me. Akuma didn't move move, still inside.

I waited for hours, in some sort of limbo between sleep and awake. It was like daydreaming. When Akuma finally woke up about two and a half hours later, I snapped out of it and decided it was time to head out. After a quick change of clothes and a drink of water, I packed up everything. Including an empty water bottle.

A few minutes after that, Akuma and I were on the road again. The sun didn't show, but it was bright enough to be considered day. It was almost nine, though. It was as good a time as ever to be traveling, rather than a frozen hell... Which is an oxymoron.

Less than a few minutes on the road, I heard a voice from behind me and turned to see a young man who looked a bit older than me. He was calling after me, causing me to stop and wait for him.

"Um, do I know you?" I didn't know the kid, but it was possible he'd seen my awesome fighting abilities back in Oreburgh or something.

"Not really, but I heard you were a tough trainer from a kid last night. Said you have a powerful Budew and Deino with you?" That crazy shorts kid!

"Oh, yeah. I remember the kid. Wore shorts. Yeah, those are my Pokemon. But I guess it'd be a long shot to ask your Pokemon, wouldn't it." I knew I was at a disadvantage from the moment the kid announced he knew my Pokemon. Still, it's not like I was one to back out. Not that easily.

"You'll have to do your digging like I did, if you want to know which Pokemon I have. One on one, you and me, no switches and no items. Sound good to you?" I didn't exactly know what he meant by items, but it sounded alright. It's not like I had anything to use anyways, so I just nodded.

Giving Akuma a small pat, I gave her the signal. She was up first. She instantly switched from playful Herdier to aggressive Mightyena in a heartbeat. The kid gave her a cautious glance, but seemed to assume she wasn't preparing to fight him. I wanted to keep my hand near her just in case.

"Oh, I'm Kael. This is Akuma. She's my starter Pokemon." The kid nodded and pulled out a blue and red Great ball. He pointed it beside him and released a large Heracross near him. It was at least four feet, from horn to claw, and it wasn't the friendliest looking thing in the world.

It's greyish carapace suggested it was old, but it was also very shiny. I guessed it wasn't that difficult to beat, being a bug. Akuma could burn straight through it. I just hoped it wasn't a hopeless fight.

"Alright, Akuma. You're turn. All you have to do is Breath on it, remember that." Immediately, Akuma opened her mouth and a jet of blue flame splashed over the shelled Heracross. While it wasn't exactly conditional or really acceptable to start a fight before the handshake, no one was really watching.

"Akuma! Wait!" I tried to right the wrong, but the young man held up his hand.

"It's fine. Just keep fighting!" Akuma had let off her flames for only a second, but instantly let them out again. Unfortunately, the Heracross wasn't there anymore. It had leapt into the air already and dove on her. It tried to pin her with it's horn, but Akuma was able to slip out from underneath. It wasn't quite strong enough to keep her motionless.

Yelling out, I ordered her to attack with her teeth with such close quarters. With dark fangs, Akuma tried to pierce the hard shell. While the teeth she used were darkened and similar to an illusion, they weren't nearly as sharp as I'd have liked. They barely cracked the shell.

In response to being bitten, the Heracross used it's shelled arm to smack Akuma in the back. She wavered a bit and retreated to receive new orders. I quickly called for another trip to the oven. It was mostly just a constant barrage of fire from there. Akuma could keep it up as long as she had to.

The Heracross obviously couldn't take much of her hot breath for too long. It quickly jumped around to avoid any damage. Outside of four meters and it was safe. I quickly realized Akuma's range when the bug leapt away from her and she tried to extend them to reach it. Until the four meter point.

Finding out about the extent of Akuma's power and range, the kid seemed to know how to exploit it. He ordered his Heracross to stay out of the four meter range. Following my own orders, Akuma attempted to attack the bug at any opportunity, but every time she tried, she got attacked from the side while she tried to accurately determine it's location.

She had to pause before attacking to listen and feel where the Heracross was coming from before unleashing the fire. While it helped in accuracy, it was slower than any Pokemon with sight. I felt it might come in handy later, but now it was a disadvantage.

"Akuma, stop aiming! Just attack!" Suddenly, Akuma started spewing fire in every direction. She was almost entirely surrounded by a veil of blue embers. While the Heracross tried to attack, it had to pass through the fire. Once the Heracross was close enough, Akuma had enough to go on to Headbutt it.

After taking heat and fire to the body, it's shell had apparently weakened. After taking one of Akuma's headbutts to the side, the shell crumpled under the force. It collapsed on the ground and the kid had to return it.

"Man, your Deino is pretty good. Akuma, you called it? Well, good fight, even if you disobeyed the rules of battling. By the way, my name is Jonas." He held out his hand, now that the fighting is over. "Might as well shake now than later. Am I right?" Shrugging, I shook hands with him.

"So, Jonas. Have you challenged the Gym in Oreburgh yet, or were you just traveling?"

"Already beat him," he smugly said, displaying the Coal Badge.

"Sweet. Hope to see you around in at a Gym or something." Waving goodbye to Jonas, I continued down the Route. It was still boring scenery, same dead trees and pale grass. I'm not sure where Jonas left, but when I looked back, he was walking towards Jubilife.

Akuma seemed to be fine, but she was also tired. I had no choice but to return her to her Pokeball if I wanted to keep up a good pace. And so, that day, I spent most of it simply walking. Alone. In the cold. The only person I saw was Jonas, making it to date, the most boring day ever.

And here I was thinking my day had started out great...

.

For dinner, I found a small herd of Deerling. Akuma had recovered enough to hunt with me and came in handy when trying to defeat a Pokemon bigger than her. When I came out from behind one of the trees, I'd scared the Deerling straight into Akuma, who attacked one of them by tackling it before biting it's throat out.

While it did leave a bloody mess, she was a lot stronger than me. Akuma was able to keep the struggling and dying Deerling against the ground until it bled out. Then she dug in, tearing apart the meat and taking her portion. While she was always ready to eat, this was a Pokemon just as large as she. The math didn't add up right if she even tried to eat one by herself.

I had to turn away from the sight and cover my ears. The sounds weren't particularly fun to listen to. It was really just wet chewing and slopping noises. The sight was something that made me uncomfortable. I'm not sure why just uncomfortable and not nauseated like Sarah.

Once finished, Akuma dragged the corpse over to me. I was careful on where I put my hand to pat her, because there was blood everywhere on her. Seriously, how'd she get it on her tail?

Dragging a corpse of a Deerling isn't very fun, but carrying it on my shoulder was gross. I'd rather not have blood all over my clothes. Akuma followed me to a small river. It wasn't too easy to find, but the sound of water was easy to track once we did discover it.

I quickly set to work in salvaging what meat I could and noticed the horns. They were small, but poked out under it's flower. I used the tip of my knife to smash through horn material. It was difficult to separate them from the Deerling. Finally, when they were off, I was holding two inch long horns.

While they weren't too big, they'd still be worth something. Akuma wasn't sure what I was doing, but still sniffed around. I didn't really understand what I was doing half the time, meaning I wasn't exactly clean in cutting off the horns. I set them aside and "expertly" pulled the meat off the bone.

My small metal pot wasn't really meant to hold half a Deerling, but I did use a fair bit of it. I collected some water inside my bottle and dumped several fills of it. I still didn't have any spices, but I was able to find some grass that looked edible. I ripped up a few blades and sprinkled it into the water.

Then it was time for the cooking. I collected several branches off the surrounding trees and ground. Akuma tried to help again and brought back several shards of the branches she found. She mostly looked for smaller sticks, like I'd asked, but was took strong for her own good. Each one just broke apart every bite.

After I had everything set up and I had the flint in my hand, I remembered something I should've realized sooner. Akuma had her Breath, allowing her to spit fire. As in, something to burn wood.

"Hey, Akuma? Can you try your Dragon's Breath and, uh, light the fire?" Looking from me to the pile, Akuma was hesitant to actually breath on the wood. She didn't actually know where her opponent was, but I helped her direct the fire into my stack of branches.

Soon enough, I had a healthy yellow fire. I had to let it die down a bit. Akuma's fire was way more intense than I'd planned, so it was hard to control it at first. After it was under my control and burned out to a more usable size, I was able to carefully lay the pot in the fire.

It was pretty easy to cook a soup and it was ready pretty soon. It was a quick hot meal out of the pot without a spoon, while it was pretty difficult, it tasted okay. Not much flavor anyways. Akuma wasn't really in the mood to finish the remaining corpse, so I was forced to dig a hole to bury it.

I trained with Akuma for a while, and also let out Thorn, but he seemed to still be recovering from yesterday's match. Akuma was making progress with her strength and speed, but her accuracy wasn't as good as I'd expected. And in terms of her Thunder Wave, it was able to make me lose the use of my fingers and make it difficult to use my legs, as well as a tingle all over my body. But the only downside of it, she couldn't expand the field very far. It could only reach out about three or four feet from her. While I wanted it to be used it combat, Akuma couldn't use it to fully paralyze.

Thorn wasn't really able to train, but he did try. While his spores could fully paralyze, it was resistible. With Akuma's Thunder Wave, not much could resist that. It was electricity, the thing that moved muscles, so unless there was no way for the muscle to move, it could be detained with Thunder Wave. This is why his spores weren't something to always rely on. Instead, I ordered him to either practice his accuracy and agility, or go and rest.

.

Every day, for the next three days, went similar to today. There were only a few trainers willing to fight. Akuma was a bit impatient with no fighting going on. But she was still alright with walking with me. I woke up early, hunted with her for dinner at night, walked all day, and trained after dinner.

On the morning of the fifth day, I noticed it was much colder than ever. By the weather on my PokeDex, it was at least five degrees below freezing. As such, I made sure my hat and scarf were tight and my hoodie as well. Akuma was alright with it, but she tended to stick close to me.

The road was as boring as ever. Nothing really changed, expect that more mountains and cliffs the nearer I got to Floaroma. There wasn't really much to look at, no people, and hardly any Pokemon. Akuma just sniffed around, bugging a few burrows, and generally caused trouble.

It wasn't until around noon that anything happened. It was Akuma that first noticed it, even being blind. She started screeching as small white flakes began to fall from the sky. I was surprised by her noise and saw the snow falling. While I could deal with the cold air, frozen water was not very fun.

I tried to go faster, because sleeping out in the snow was not nice. Just thinking and imagining what it would be like, sleeping in my blanket. In fact, just trying to light a fire would be a pain in the ass. As such, I did NOT want to be caught in the snow. With Floaroma as close as it was, I deemed it alright.

Akuma kept up, but bit at the snow flakes as they fell on her. I wasn't too bothered yet, but the ice was starting to melt. So, I continued to rush.

Soon enough, buildings started to pop up as I got closer to my hometown. I began to see more people, more concrete, and more lights. While it wasn't too dark yet, clouds had been covering the sky for days. I'd gotten used to it being darker every day and could almost accurately judge the time.

By the time I'd gotten close to the border of Floaroma, I paused to talk to Akuma. She wasn't very comfortable in the snow anyways, but I still wanted to make sure she was ready to be put in her Pokeball for a while. I didn't know when I'd be able to take her out again, so it was best to talk it over.

"Hey, Akuma. This is it. Going past this point means you'll have to be in your Pokeball. I'm not sure when we'll be able to train again, but I hope it'll be as soon as possible. Are you ready, Akuma?" Akuma started making noises, like she didn't want to. "Akuma, please? You'll be able to fight and eat after I get things sorted. Promise?"

After I'd made the deal with her, she seemed to calm down. She didn't like it, as expected, but she was willing. She wouldn't be too angry with me later. I hope. I patted her on the head, messing up her horn, before I returned her. Sighing, I walked through town alone.

While I'd lived here for years, the streets were still like a maze to navigate. Luckily, I had my PokeDex to help me find my way. The map helped me find my way around. Before too long, I found myself in a familiar neighborhood and I saw the houses I'd walked by for over a year.

Stepping up to the fence, I saw a tarp was over several trees and bushes, protecting them from the snow. The same house I'd lived in a month ago was right in front of me, waiting for me to knock on the door. The same plan had been going through my mind several times, but why couldn't I just do it?

Sure, you could say I was afraid, but for a good reason. My father had said before I'd left he'd refuse to let me in if I came back, but that was only if I was giving up. Breathing, I walked up to the front steps of the house and smacked my knuckles against the wood of the door.

* * *

 **Alright, cliffhanger! I really liked the Gym fight scene, simply because it was my first one. The fight was somewhat more laid back than I'd thought, but I couldn't really change it once I'd written it. It just felt right, so I'm keeping it. But he got the badge and stuff. Kael is on the right path of becoming Champion.**

 **Sarah is the Sheila of my story, yes, but to me, I was moving too fast. So, I separated them. I know some people might not like that, but it makes it feel more real worldly. (real word) They aren't that close yet. Then there is also heartbreak. Any and every teenager goes through that. And, yes, so have I.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed. Since you've read this far, that really means a lot. So, thank you. Leave a review if you have any sort of comment or anything, because I want to know what you think of my story. Be honest, I can take it.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr; SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel


	9. The Second Journey

**Okay. This is it. Time for the boring part. My... *coughs* Favorite... Yeah, this might be one of my least favorite part, so I hope everyone enjoys it as it is. I know Simronchouhan said it was a bit slow last chapter, so this one might be a big disappointment to him. I'll try to skip as much of the boring parts as I can, but it still might be slow. There is about a four month gap to fill, after all.**

 **Sorry if it's a bit late. I had a vacation and I sorta took the time to do... literally nothing. I also had a bit of writer's block until school started. Somehow, I focus better on my work when I'm supposed to be doing something else.**

 **Enough ranting, LowePlays! Just friggin' write!**

* * *

My parents took it pretty well when they found me on their front steps. Of course, "pretty well" is an understatement. My dad wanted to throw me right out, but my mom calmed him down long enough for me to explain why I was home. I was just home for the Winter holidays and season, until I could leave in the Spring.

When Herdier ran around the corner, he jumped on me and started licking my face. I knew Akuma would probably be jealous. After I convinced my dad to let me stay for the next few months, I went up to my old room. It was strange to be up there, but I just put away my bag and took out my two Pokeballs.

While I liked talking to my parents, it was a bit awkward to talk for the first week. As such, I spent some time away from them until they grew comfortable about me being back. It was like they'd finally adjusted to me being gone before I'd returned. It was almost rude to come back after a month, but I really couldn't survive in the winter.

Every night, I went to bed feeling like I wasn't doing enough, sitting too still. And then there was the fear. While they weren't frequent, the dreams of Stein occasionally popped up from nowhere and I'd wake up in a cold sweat. The details never stayed with me for long, but some of them seemed to change in my mind. Maybe I couldn't remember it that clearly, or I was somehow twisting it to suit my fears.

Time seemed to pass slower than it would've been on the road, but I made do with my time. It was about two days after I arrived I was able to actually let Akuma out of her Pokeball. My dad didn't like me even being near my own Pokemon, stopping me from even thinking about training with her.

Although, once I did let her out, it was in my own room. I was careful not to make too much noise, but she was another story. She was hungry and also in a new place. She wanted to explore, to test things. Of course, with my dad jumping at every mention, I had to keep her calm. Akuma didn't really like being quiet, but she learned to keep her noise to a minimum in close quarters.

I did eventually get to go outside after the first week, as my dad started to drop his defenses. Mainly because Arceus Day was coming up. Sure, it was over a month away, but this was the biggest holiday Sinnoh had to offer. It was one of the main features of Sinnoh, so almost everyone participated.

And when I say "Everyone", I mean there are children, grannies, teens, and parents. All of them rushing from one store to the next, trying to get that one decoration, that on sculpture of Arceus. It was said that the most realistic Arceus creation housed under one roof would be the home he would visit and grant presents. Of course, when you reached about ten, most kids learned the presents were from the parents, but that didn't stop them from celebrating.

Really, the only people who believed in Arceus' gifts were children or the members of the Arceus Sect. At least, that's what they said. Since I didn't really have a religion to follow, no God Pokemon Deity or whatever, I just celebrated for the presents and the fun. That's why when Sarah told me she didn't like Arceus day and didn't celebrate, it shocked me.

I took Akuma outside at every chance, but since I didn't have a high enough gym badge, she couldn't walk with me in town. With snow on the ground, even when I did let her out in the usual field, she didn't enjoy being with the ice. And for that matter, nor did I. While I did have a coat, the one I had was getting small. The sleeves were getting close to my elbows, making it almost embarrassing to wear.

Still, it worked as it was meant to, so I wore it to keep warm and put my hands in my pockets. It helped with the cold, and I was able to train with Akuma. While she didn't like it, she learned to deal with it. To help defend against the evil ice, I either had her endure it, or simply breath flames over it.

It was a cheap fix, as well as temporary. Whenever it snowed, she had to breath over it again. To be honest, the snow was really annoying. Maybe it was my connection to Akuma, but I was beginning to hate the snow like her. Of course, at the same time, when I had to deal with the snow, I didn't mind it.

Day after day, I went to the fields with Akuma to train. She improved in strength and her senses, too. While her Thunder Wave was getting stronger every day, the field only ever expanded to about a meter or so from her. I'd expected it to have grown bigger, but I chucked it up to the TM's abilities to only grant basic knowledge. It only helped that I'd made her practice day after day. At least, every day I could.

Of course, focusing on that one ability made it hard to focus on any other skills. While she used her Dragon's Breath often, and practiced with Thunder Wave, she couldn't improve otherwise. Mainly because I consumed most of her training time. The only other time she had outside of her Pokeball was to eat.

For Arceus Day last year, we'd been going through a tough time. My Dad still drank alcohol, but at least he wasn't drinking it the minute he could. He'd regained his bushes and a sense of purpose. This year, my mom could actually buy a statue of Arceus. As such, she started to buy several decorations for the holiday. Soon enough, our home had enough decor that I began to feel uncomfortable.

At the same time, the entire town was ramping up for the holiday. Golden circles, green paper, and snow all symbolized Arceus. As such, they were haphazardly strewn everywhere around town. Truthfully, some of the lights looked too flashy and forced, but some of the other displayed decorations were perfect.

I didn't have much interest in the holiday like I'd previously thought. Really, the bright lights and desperation to impress the neighbors with superior decorations. It all seemed... boring. As it crept closer, everyone seemed to be in a frenzy. They rushed to buy whatever they could find, to give their kids.

What a waste.

It got colder as December got into swing. Half way through the month, I hesitated to even go outside. Akuma would just shiver in the cold air, which meant it was really cold for me. It didn't matter if I was wearing my coat, because the temperature was low enough to easily cut through any length of fabric.

While it was close to convincing me to stop training, I kept remembering the deal I'd made with Sarah. So, I forced Akuma to train as well, using whatever I could to keep us both warm. It was harder to judge her improvements the further she improved. I didn't know if it was just my training or just Akuma's abilities.

The ninteenth of December was the hardest day. My dad covered his plants with tarps and kept them warm in a makeshift greenhouse, but the wind was probably the worst bit. With the air ten or fifteen below freezing, it was pretty hard. Not many wanted to be outside in this kind of weather.

That didn't stop people from skating on the ice around town. It seemed like everything had recovered in the past year, but there were still a few that didn't really seem happy, most had recovered from the hurricane back in 2063.

It was the day before Arceus Day, so it's not like it wasn't a big deal. Everyone who had business quickly rushed from building to building. Even watching them was stressful. Akuma mostly stayed with me, in my room, but she had to be quickly recalled any time someone entered my room to talk to me.

Imagine that, if my father walked in, only to see a vicious and terrible dragon named Akuma sitting next to me. And while she was vicious in eating, she wasn't one for patience. She had her food, she had me, but she wanted to be free. Being cooped up inside my room made her squirm. She displayed it by jumping on my bed or nudging my chair, as if to say, "Let's go."

I really wanted to leave Floaroma behind again. I'd said I didn't want to return, back when I first left. Now that I was back, with experience from traveling, sitting around for a month was tough. Even with the occasional text from Sarah, and my parents being as loving as they are, it was boring.

I wanted to move. To battle. Do something that got my blood pumping. It was probably why I left this place behind in the first place, but it hadn't looked so bland back then. Now, all I could do was lay in my bed or play games on the computer. It was too cold to train outside, so I really didn't know what to do.

Sure, leaving early could maybe work for something. Something would happen. I'm just not sure it'd be something I wanted. With my parents still ignorant of my third Pokemon, who sometimes haunted my dreams every other day, as well as the Luxray Pride that had cause his demise.

To be honest, I'd thought long and hard at the dangers the forest might hold. And while some of it I could manage, I wasn't so sure about the rest of it. I made me feel... weak. Scared. Still, at the same time, many people passed through the Eterna forest just fine.

And every time, the thought of Stein appeared. If it was an Ursarang, I imagined Thorn being torn to shreds. A huge Scolipede, and I'd be trampled. And if it was Akuma, my starter Pokemon, it made me feel sad about it. Maybe I was getting too emotional about it, but I couldn't help it.

In fact, ever since Stein, I'd never really been one for sad things. Never liked them, so I avoided them. I didn't cry much in Judo class when I was beat, or insulted. But when my Pokemon had died, I couldn't help it. Why was I so weak? Why couldn't I have helped him, even a little? All he was for, it all amounted to a few extra seconds of time to help July think up a strategy.

Until my mom came up, I'd spent all day in my room, just thinking. It was boring, and my parents seemed to think so too. So, they decided to invite me out to go to a shop, the last one before Arceus Day came around. I wasn't sure what shop it was, but when my mom came up to ask, I shrugged, pocketed Akuma, and accepted.

My mom and dad dragged me out into the cold and we trekked over to a small shop. I didn't really know what we were doing in an outdoors man shop, but I just was following to do something. It wasn't really something to enjoy, your parents shopping. So, I didn't even look at whatever they bought, but it'd probably be something important in the future, since I was staying here for a few more months.

Groaning, I walked by the isles and looked at the kind of things they were selling. Mostly, just bait, knives, bows, arrows, and traps. Mostly things to hunt or defend, but not much else. Flint and steel, stiff clothing, and tents were also being sold, but not many brands or anything.

After my parents paid for whatever they were buying, we walked out into the cold again. I tried to act like I didn't mind it, to save me the embarrassment. Still, bearing the same old cold day after day was getting old and I missed the summer. Yet, we still walked down the streets, which were covered in decorations, lights, and annoying little children.

Honestly, I wasn't one for crowds. And while I did like friends, my personal goals seemed to drive them away. Sarah, while she had the same goal, only one of us could take that throne and claim the title of Champion. I knew that. Yet, it was a lonely throne in my head. Why I wanted that throne...

No, I had to become Champion. What was I thinking? If I was to become Champion, I could present it as a challenge for Sarah, as well as any other Pokemon Trainer, if they aim to do as I did. Only problem... I was stuck in Floaroma until Spring. When I would see Sarah again...

Sighing, I continued behind my parents. They wandered from store to store buying... whatever. Yawning, I didn't pay attention at all. Something about this entire trip was just boring. After the third shop, I said I was heading home, but my parents started following. Groaning, I just walked with my hands in my pockets.

It wasn't until I was up in my room that I began to get curious what my parents bought. They'd gone to hunting and survival stores today, most focusing on Pokemon. Was I right there when they bought something important? Shaking my head again, I decided that I would find out if it was important later. For now, I just sat in my chair, tossing my Pokeball from hand to hand.

To pass time, I just poked around on my computer. Typing, watching silly Meowth videos, and reading. Without letting out Akuma, I was alone. Even if occasionally looking at my PokeDex, expecting a message from Sarah, I knew I wouldn't get much. She hardly ever sent me any, not after Jubilife. It just made me feel lonelier.

When my mom called me to dinner, I was glad to finally be out of my room, even though I wasn't confined to it. I jumped down the stairs and was greeted with a table with a large dinner piled onto it. Our Arceus Day feast was ready. Was that why we'd gone to the shops?

It was a delicious meal, and I shared it with my family. We talked about random stuff, and nothing of importance. It was the night of the celebration, and now that I was out of my room, I could hear the crowds around town, partying and setting off fireworks. In the morning, all would be crazy. The excitement would last that long, but it was peaceful for now.

This was the times I'd missed. The craziness would last a while, but it was an enjoyable craze. As such, it was pleasant to hear. For now. By tomorrow, it would most likely be old. Instead, I focused on talking and eating. The Flaffy meat we had for the main dish was nice and fatty, so it was pretty good. Some Tapu Berries blended into a paste, and a salad of Pecha Berries and leaves.

I ate until I was stuffed, but I still continued to talk to my parents. We'd often strayed away from talking about my journey, but tonight was different. My mom was the one who brought it up. She'd asked to see my badge, which I'd kept on the strap of my bag since I'd gotten back.

Though it was a hassle to retrieve my bag, I brought it down from my room. I showed it to my mom, who brought out a similar piece of metal. She compared it to mine, and I looked at it closely.

The metal had either lost it's paint, or never came with it, and was beginning to rust. She obviously didn't take care of her badges, but it also had been years since she'd been a trainer. While she was skilled, she had no reason to care for her badges. While they were just medals, they still held something for me.

After that, my mom started prodding me for more information about my battle. Even though she'd seen it, she wanted to know my thoughts and feelings on how it went. The video version was more meant for entertainment, rather than actual strategy, made it more of a TV show than an actual sport.

While it was almost insulting, I accepted it and tried my best to recreate the fight. I went through my strategies and thoughts I could remember, explaining it all to my mom. It was a little hard to explain it like it happened, but the words seemed to make sense to her. Once I was finished, my mom handed me back my badge.

We discussed a few more points, before it was well time for showers and sleeping. With the noise outside, it would be difficult to sleep, but it also helped realize how far Floaroma had come since last year. Considering last year, the town was too broken to host a day as exciting as this. I hardly even remember it, it was so boring.

I ended up taking a quick shower and returned to my room. I didn't like keeping Akuma trapped up in her Pokeball, but it was hard to also leave her alone. Seriously, it could become an issue one of these days, if we ever needed to separate for a while. Even for just a few moments.

Now that I was in my room, Akuma was let out as I laid on my bed. It was almost natural now, letting Pokemon out from Pokeballs. I sighed while the small Deino jumped onto the bed. While she was a bit energetic, she followed my example and laid across me. My hand found it's way on to her head and I ruffled her fur.

It was just like any other night. While the noises outside were still noises, they were beginning to blur into the background. I didn't really pay them much attention anymore. Akuma occasionally twitched at any sudden sounds, but remained still for the most part. Soon enough, I found myself drifting off and the next thing I knew, I was already asleep.

Morning came faster than I thought it would, thanks to Akuma. She jumped up at any noise she deemed a threat. Saying that much, it's easy to guess I didn't get to much sleep that night. However, the one thing I did get up for was Arceus Day. Presents, and the bathroom, of course.

After patting Akuma on the head and returning her, I took a trip to the water closet. I was careful not to make much noise, tiptoeing as I went. Down the stairs was the hardest since the floor boards creaked more in the silence. In the living room, there was the statue my mom had bought, with a few presents around it.

Even though I knew it was only my parents delivering the presents, it was still the tradition to put them around Arceus. Just the way it worked. It was hard to break the normal ways, so it was easiest to just go along with it. I walked by the statue and looked at the plain boxes. We couldn't really afford to go and buy fancy wrappings like others, but it was better than nothing.

I wanted to let Akuma out, to wait with me, but I was afraid to be caught with her inside the house. Instead, I just sat by the boxes and waited. It wasn't fun or anything, but I couldn't touch any of the presents until my parents came down. Just the rules of the family.

It must have been an entire hour before they came out of their rooms. I was left to listen to the faint sounds of party chaos still going on. By tomorrow though, most parties would be over, most too drunk to continue. On top off that, it was am entirely different holiday. Day of Darkness.

The Darkness Day is meant to thank Giratina for it's help to the cosmos. While it didn't make sense, it did give everyone a chance to recover from hangovers and get some sleep.

When I heard the doors upstairs open and close, I knew it was time. I almost laughed when my parents tried to be sneaky. Instead, I hid behind the statue of Arceus, planning to scare them.

Just as I got in place, I heard my own bedroom door open and my mom's whisper. When they discovered I wasn't in my room, they started talking to each other. While I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying, I could guess it had something to do with my disappearance.

As the two walked down the stairs, I waited for them to enter the living room. They continued to whisper to the other, but they sounded worried. Just as they walked into the living room, one I saw their feet, I jumped up and yelled.

Luckily, they were people who could take a joke. While they were scared, they also saw me. Which made them laugh, so it meant I wasn't going to have all my presents taken away.

After laughing it out, we sat down and handed over presents. While mine wasn't worth much, it was an apricorn bobble. I'm not really sure what it was for, but it looked like my parents would like it. They did run a farm for apricorns, after all.

When they handed me the four boxes, I was happy I got anything at all. I was almost seventeen, and I was staying temporarily, so it was surprising I got anything at all. Smiling, I thanked them before treating through the packaging. Inside, I found a new coat with padding and camo for stealth. There was also a new sleeping bag and tent. In the final and smallest box contained a bag of candy.

It was expected to get candy, but the coat, tent, and sleeping bag were totally unexpected. All I could do was smile at my parents and thanked them. Likewise, they thanked me for the small apricorn statue thing. It was a quick Argues Day celebration after that.

We prayed to the Arceus Statue and shined the ring around it's body. It was just the tradition now. We read the Scriptures of Arceus for a few minutes before going back to our normal day stuff. More noises from parties sprang up the higher in the sky the sun went. I took my outdoors stuff up to my room and set it all next to my bag.

While I stared at my stuff, I sucked on a piece of hard candy and realized my usual bag wouldn't cut it. It already had a blanket to carry, now I had a tent and sleeping bag to drag along too. I'd need a new backpack.

Although I wasn't lazing for at least another month, I wanted to buy everything I could now and be prepared to leave whenever Sarah said she was ready. I was moving on her clock, so it was up to her to decide when I'd leave.

Back in the normal run of things, it was quite boring. I couldn't train very long with Akuma. She'd always try to breathe fire on any snow or even at the cold air. Of course, I still made her train. She needed it more than she knew. Thorn was a different problem. Because he was a plant, he could die in the cold. I still had him feed off the sunlight, but he'd always back into a corner for warmth.

The next few days were slow. Everyone was either tired or hung over so badly they'd rather stay home. As such, only small children were out in the snow. And me, of all things.

Only one thing really worried me, which was on Arceus Day, as well as the Eve of the day, several crimes were committed. Some were small and petty. Some examples are broken windows or stolen mailboxes. Others were more serious. People all over Sinnoh were reporting stolen Pokemon and Pokedexes. They were partners and licences being taken here.

Sure, most of the people were drunk and partying. Maybe some of them misplaced their PokeDex or Pokeballs. But this many being reported? It was highly unlikely. Some blamed Giratina, while rumors of an underground organization was behind the incidents. It was some scary stuff, considering world tension.

We were fortunate enough not to be robbed of our possessions. Several incidents had occurred in Floaroma, so it was hard to imagine it happening in a large city. It was also lucky that nothing really happened like that the entire time I spent waiting for Sarah's signal. Of course, that mostly meant I was doing the same chores I was doing before I'd left almost four months ago.

With my birthday fast approaching, it was difficult to know if we'd make it to Eterna before then. The first was a place not to be trusted. Of course, with a Dragon by my side it was hard to tell. There weren't many people who had one to tell the tale, they were that rare.

It was around halfway through February that I got the message from Sarah. I think it might have been the twentieth, but at the same time, the twenty first. It was late at night, so I couldn't tell. To be honest, most of the days before blurred together. Yesterday was the first of February. Day before was New Years. At some point I'd bought a dark purple and black backpack from my supplies. It was close to all of my money, even if I did occasionally go hunting with Alumna for a pinch of cash.

Still, it was late at night, so I decided to sleep and figure it out in the morning. Of course, properly after that, I'd totally forgotten about the signal. I ended up waiting until the first of March to bid audeu to my parents. I promised to keep in touch via PokeDex, before heading straight to a nearby mart. I still only had the 1 spare Pokeball, so stocking up might not be a bad idea.

I bought a half dozen Pokeballs, as well as a box of cookies. For the road. Setting out, into the forest, I was glad for the sunshine, because it melted all the snow and warmed the air up to a few degrees above freezing. A pleasant finger-numbing temperature.

The cookies were dotted with chocolate and tasted delicious. I made sure to save at least one for Akuma, but there were still plenty by the time I passed the point any Pokemon were permitted. Which meant only one thing; Akuma!

"Hey, Akuma. What's up? Want a cookie?" Akuma happily stretched and yawned before taking the small biscuit from my hand. She seemed to enjoy it, because she started sniffing around me for another one. Once she found the box, I had to give them all up, or else...

The road wasn't very interesting, but the trees were. They'd started blooming with small nubs growing from the branches. With all the new scenery, it was a nice change of pace from my room. Akuma seemed to like it as well, from all the new smells and sounds. It was all very nice until I started into the Eterna forest.

It was pretty nice inside the edges of the forest, like where I first found Akuma. However, past about two hours of walking, the trees grew much larger than I'd previously thought. And we weren't even in the thick of it. The trees were taller and wider than the skinny saplings near the small fields of Floaroma. And here I thought it would be a walk in the park.

"Getting kind dark in here, huh Akuma?" I looked over at her, before remembering her lack of understanding. She honestly didn't know what darkness was, other than her typing. Of course, it didn't bother her, just made it a bit harder in training. "Right..."

We kept walking along the same path before I began to see certain... Pokemon. They weren't something I remember seeing near Floaroma recently, so either it must've been the cold air, or simply the fear of humans. A herd of Stantler were near the path, seeming to see me, but refuse to back away. Since they weren't actually on the path, they didn't get in my way, but I made sure to give them a wide clearing.

Reaching into my pocket, I popped a small hard candy in my mouth. Though I knew they weren't good almost three months past Arceus Day, but they did give me something to suck on. It helped distract me from the actual danger in the air. The Stantler seemed cautious around me, and I felt something in my head.

Though the feeling in my head was a little annoying, it didn't seem like they were able to do anything. Akuma stuck close to me during the passing, but she growled and screeched at the Stantler that were too close. While they didn't advance, they did seem to glare at her. It didn't do much, but it was a sketchy situation.

Honestly, to run into a situation like this on the first day? A Stantler could project images or torture you mentally if provoked, even going so far as killing someone. It was something that made my legs shake, if I'm honest. Once clear, I was practically running with Akuma running beside me.

Soon enough, I couldn't see the Stantler behind us. It was my signal to let out my held breath, coming out in a gasp and I sucked in air to stay conscious. Akuma was confused about it for a while, until I returned to normal. She kept poking me with her faux horn, which tickled more than hurt.

I admired her ignorant courage, even though I knew it'd get me into a lot of trouble if it were me. She didn't know one of those things could kill you with a single glare. It was bad enough there were a dozen behind us.

"I don't suppose you know where we're going, do you, Akuma?" She just looked up at me and opened her mouth, saying she was hungry. I couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, let's go find you something for lunch."

It was a pretty easy find prey in the forest, come the spring. We found a Glameow licking it's paw, before being pounced on by Akuma. It was over almost as soon as I saw the cat, because Akuma's Thunder Wave stunned it in place long enough to be torn apart by her teeth. I thanked our training for increasing her range, even if it did deliver an uncomfortable shock to me as well.

"How's the meal?" Akuma looked up from her food before remembering me. Ripping off a large portion of the cat, she dropped the majority of the leg in front of me. I smiled and laughed a bit, before pressing my hand to her neck. Turning back to her meal, she dug back into the guts of the Glameow.

While I had the meat, I was unsure of how to cook it efficiently. Making a fire was too elaborate, but I could try using Akuma's flames straight from her mouth. And perhaps claim it as training? But I still had to wait for Akuma to finish. Instead, I set the meat aside, with the fur on the ground.

I knew I'd made ropes before, but I wasn't sure if I'd retained the skill. Pulling up a few shorter blades from the ground, I tried weaving them together, but the pattern didn't seem right. When it was finished, it hardly looked like the rope I'd made before. While it could still be used for something, I decided to toss it away.

Akuma sat back and made weird noises before sniffing around some more. Turning towards me, she found the leg she'd given me, before facing me. She wasn't insulted, was she?

"Listen, Akuma. Could you do me a favor? Now that you're done eating, could you breath some fire on mine? Not too hot, but enough to cook it?" While talking, I took the leg and pulled my knife out of my backpack. Akuma responded by cocking her head. While I usually let her eat her meals raw, she did eat cooked. It might have been because of her ability to eat both that she wondered why I couldn't. Of course, she could literally eat anything.

"I can only eat cooked meat, Akuma. You know, put over a fire?" My blade bit into the skin enough for me to peel off some fur. It separated nicely, but I ended up cutting off the foot. It wasn't a Lopunny foot, so no use keeping it for later. The skin wasn't very useful either, so I tossed that aside too.

It was a risky gamble. Either the meat wasn't fully cooked, or maybe I had my hand burned off? I didn't know whether or not to trust Akuma's aim, but it WAS Akuma here. She knew what would happen if she hurt me. Breathing in, I held the leg out to the side by the bone. I tried to keep as far away from the actual meat, where Akuma was supposed to cook the meat.

"Alright. Go ahead, Akuma. Remember, colder flames." Opening her mouth, Akuma unleashed a short burst of blueish black fire. While it wasn't very hot, it sure looked cool. I felt it the flames brush past my fingers, almost stinging from it. I looked at my hand with squinted eyes.

Until the bone under my fingers felt hot, I didn't want to take the meat away. Of course, Akuma had the habit of overdoing things, even on accident. I nearly dropped my meal after a few seconds, it was already that hot. Taking it away, I dropped the bone onto the ground.

Looking at my hand, I knew it'd probably scar. The skin over my index finger and thumb was practically charred. Just the sight made it feel a whole lot worse. All the skin from the knuckle of my thumb to my wrist was raw and blackened, but it was already cauterized. No blood made it easier to keep clean, at least.

Akuma sniffed at my hands, before backing away. It was enough to make my hand shake, and I almost screamed from the pain. Instead, I just stuffed the leg in my mouth with my good right hand and groaned. While the meat was a bit burned and charred, it was well done underneath. I knew it would be a bigger pain later, but for now, I just tore a piece off the bone and chewed on it.

There wasn't that much good meat, really. There was a chunk at the base of it, but Akuma had happened to eat most of it already. On top of that, it was burned down by a considerable amount, so I only got three good bites out of it. While I couldn't blame Akuma for my stupid idea, because I was would pay for it later, I knew she would be hard on herself for hurting me.

"Hey, it doesn't hurt that much. Don't worry about it." Taking a rag out of my bag, I wrapped it around my hand. While it stung, it masked my hand and helped me forget about it. Of course, it wasn't like it was fine, because it still hurt. A lot. But it was my way of saying it was fine.

Akuma seemed to buy it, so it worked out for me. Once I was finished with the meat, I stuck the bone in the ground. I brushed off my pants and rubbed Akuma's head. A quick thanks for the meal and we were on our way.

The forest became darker and darker the deeper we went. Akuma and I didn't find many problems with the trees, mainly because all branches were well above us. The path was a clear path of cleared grass, as well as trees. Nothing got in the way, other than the maze of the forest.

At some point, I seemed to have lost the path. While I could follow a cardinal direction, it made me a bit uncertain. I didn't want to say I was lost, but I was lost. I couldn't see the path and all the trees looked the same. Of course, I was calm enough to stay on track. Yeah, like it mattered. I was already off the path.

Giving up wasn't an option. I spent the rest of the day just walking in a single direction, Akuma confidently padding along beside me. It was the only thing keeping me going, the fact that Akuma would always follow me. The ground might have been rough in some places, but she was going to be there for a long time.

Once it started getting dark, and my hand was sufficiantly in pain, I decided to set up camp for the night. Being my very first night on my own in months, I was nervous. Thinking back on it, I realized I'd hardly ever been alone in the wild. Sarah had been there for everything, ever since the beginning.

It was really something to realize, because it meant a lot more when she was gone. Even though I was going to see her now, I was starting to miss her. I took out my tent from my pack and set it on the forest floor and took out the remote for it. It was a mechanized tent, automatically building itself.

With a quick skim through the manual and a push of a few buttons, the laid out tent snapped together and was erected without a hitch. Sighing, I tossed my bag inside and looked over to Akuma, who was sniffing the tent with caution.

"Don't worry, it won't kill us. It's our house for the next while. Luckily, no parents to hide you from." I fully unzipped open the front flap and stepped inside. It was pretty small and barren inside, other than my bag, but it was large enough for a sleeping bag and a little wiggle room.

And I was a bit liberal with wiggle room. After laying down my new sleeping bag, there was about two hands width between the bag and the tent wall. Akuma was a bit suspicious of the cloth thing that moved on it's own, but I convinced her to step inside. Sitting on the sleeping bag, it was a bit cozy. Akuma was able to lay down beside me, so it was cool.

While it was a great tent, I decided to hide it while we were hunting. Anything too flashy would draw... unwanted attention, should I say? The same could be said for my bag. It was mostly black, but the purple highlights made it an obvious target. I ended up shoving it into the hollow trunk of a dying tree.

With my camp now looking as invisible as a pile of sticks, I decided to venture out. It might be a bit difficult to find again, but I trusted Akuma to be able to find it again. For now, I just had to remember it was directly behind me.

The forest was a bit scarier in the dark, because I could only see a very little distance. Fortunately, I wasn't the one finding the prey anymore. Akuma's heightened senses were easily able to detect a Pokemon hiding, no matter how silent. It came in handy when finding a small Pikachu family.

It started with the sound of crackling static. Akuma perked up at the sound and ran off without me. I raced after her and watched as the tip of her tail whipped around a tree and the sounds of squeaking started up. I came around to see a Pikachu mostly eaten and Akuma going after another one. There were two more, trying to attack her with their electrical attacks, but their attacks were never known for being powerful.

Akuma easily withstood the two small zaps they tried to deal. She focused solely on ripping the head off of the small rodent beneath her. It was a bit disturbing to watch, but she was able to make quick work of the Pikachu. As soon as one of them turned to shock me, Akuma immediately pounced on it, detecting it's movement.

It could have been possible she'd mistaken the Pikachu attempting to attack me as one that was fleeing, but it still saved me the trouble of being electrocuted. After the fourth one was torn in half, I grabbed two of them. The first one had been torn apart, which made it less appealing, and the fourth one was in two separate pieces. The second and third only had it's throat and above missing. I only took one of the heads, but I had no intention of eating it.

I carried both back to the campsite. While it was a pain to find again, it did the trick to camouflage it. The fact that it was hard to find, even though I knew what I was looking for, was a sign I did it right. Taking the branches off the tent, I stacked them up for a fire. After Akuma's breath, I had a small fire and I was ready to cook.

After a quick skinning and impalement, I had two Pikachu cooking. While I knew the tails and electrical pouches could be saved for money, I wasn't sure if I could keep them from rotting before the end of the forest. As such, I ended up just discarding the rest of the corpses, like the skin and stuff.

It was almost nostalgic to be cooking like before, back in Winter. While the weather was enough to make me keep my hat on, my coat really helped. Coupled with a fire, I was almost tempted to take it off. Turning the spit was a bit difficult with the burn, but I somehow managed not to drop it in the fire.

While Akuma finished eating her share of Pikachu, I finished up cooking the meat. While it wasn't much, it was enough for me. I dug in as soon as it was cool enough and came away with a mouthful of meat that felt like it was statically charged.

It was a little weird, but it gave an exotic flavor to it. After finishing most of one, I allowed Akuma to take the other. She seemed not to mind the taste or texture, but that was nothing new. It's not like she was some sort of connoisseur or anything.

After the meal, I wiped my face of fat juice and blood with leaves and grass. I did not want to bring that into my new tent. I did the same to Akuma. While it wasn't a bath, she say still long enough for me to be deemed clean. After that, it was just messing around. I had plenty of time to do anything I wanted, but what I wanted to do was the hard part.

Sitting on my sleeping bag, check. Akuma beside me, resting after the feast, check. After that, I just poked around with my PokeDex. It's not like I had the best choice in entertainment, but I did the only thing I knew how to.

Stepping outside of the tent, I took a pose and imagined an opponent there, ready to fight. With throws and such, they were a bit difficult to do without someone physically there, but I did the best I could with what I remembered. Akuma sat back and faced me while I threw punches and imaginary grabs in the firelight.

Until I broke a sweat, I didn't want to stop. Unfortunately, the pain in my gut wasn't very nice. I took a heavy drink from my water bottle and sat back in my tent. Akuma seemed to be a bit tired, but she would never really show it. Still, I was tired. While it wasn't a very long training session, I wasn't exactly in top shape. On top of that, I was exhausted from today's events.

It was like being in the middle of nowhere, considering I'd left home this morning. Looking around, it looked like I was in something like the center. After a check from my PokeDex suggested otherwise, telling me I was only on the edges of the forest. Of course, with all the trees, the signal wasn't very reliable. My position wasn't exactly staying in one place. Apparently, I could teleport.

Sighing, I tossed my PokeDex onto my bag and laid back. I was about ready to hit the hay, but there wasn't really saying much considering I was already on my bedding. Yawning, I laid back and relax. Akuma moved to a more comfortable position, laying her head on my stomach. Patting her head, I pulled my blanket out of my bag and pulled it over me.

While it was a bit uncomfortable on the forest floor, I could deal with it. What creeped me out was the noises. Pokemon around sounded like howling, cooing, or groaning. When Akuma was snoring on me, I was still trying to get to sleep. It felt different that being in the Gate to Oreburgh, or even on the routes. The forest had the air of being dangerous. After sticking to the fields around Floaroma, the danger seemed to permeate the air.

I mean, who could sleep through that? Listening to some of the Pokemon out there, I felt nervous at how close some of them sounded. Shivers ran down my spine when I thought I heard a grim laughing somewhere nearby. While I did feel the fear, I tried my best to suppress it.

With the rumors of Ghosts being able to track your fear, and it's rising popularity, I did my best. If that wasn't a Ghost Pokemon laughing, I'd rather stay silent to begin with. I'd rather not be found until I was awake. While it would be enough to keep me awake any other time, my exhaustion was getting the best of me.

Carefully, I rolled over onto my side and fluffed the small rolled up bit of my sleeping bag I called my pillow before dropping. Yawning, I laid a hand on Akuma and the other underneath my head. After closing my eyes, I fell straight to sleep.

In the morning, I spent as little time as possible trying to clean up camp. I still felt uncomfortable after last night. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but I felt like I was being spied on and I did not like the feeling. Akuma did act any different, so it might not have been anything, but I couldn't say for certain. The way the hairs on the back of my neck told me differently.

Once everything was packed into my bag, I headed out towards Eterna. The exact direction didn't really matter, as long as I was heading the right way. That's what I told myself, at least. It was hard to no panic. I had no idea exactly where I was, but if the map told me I was going the right way, it was fine.

"Akuma, you don't sense anyone nearby, do you?" I had to ask, just to make sure. It'd be easier if I had something like a flying Pokemon to scout the area, but I didn't quite trust it to be nothing.

Akuma began sniffing the air and facing back and forth, trying to find this person I somehow detected. When she came up with nothing, I was disappointed as well as relieved. If she couldn't find someone, it meant there probably wasn't anyone following me. Still, I'd wanted some action to happen. Something interesting.

Instead, I just continued walking through the forest. The sticks and dead leaves from fall crunched and snapped under foot, making it impossible to sneak, but I guess there was no use. Even though the feeling hadn't left me, I guess I'd gotten used to it. I brushed it off as nothing, even if it was something. If Akuma couldn't find it, how was I going to?

Nothing really happened for hours, the same trees and boringly brown ground for hours. Even though it was around noon, the sun didn't reach that far down into the trees cover. It was light enough to see around, but it was like at the mouth of a cave.

It might have been around then that the first events happened. I'd thought it strange for the forest to be devoid of Pokemon. When one finally appeared, it scared me.

Worse, it was after me and Akuma from the start. I'm not sure if I angered it, but when the Manectric suddenly launched out at me, I was certain I was about to die. When Akuma jumped in the way and caught the Manectric by the neck, I fell backwards onto my butt.

"Very impressive," a voice said. I looked and saw a figure stepped out of the trees. "That Deino was able to save your life faster than my Manectric could move."

"W-who are you? Why're you trying to kill me?" Whoever this guy was, he was obviously someone I shouldn't take lightly. He obviously wouldn't hesitate to kill me, or anyone else for that matter.

"Listen, kid. Just hand over your Pokemon and wallet. Oh, and your PokeDex, too. I'm sure you won't need it anymore." The yellow and blue dog walked over to where the man was standing and shook it's mane, sending off small sparks. Underneath the yellow fur, I saw something similar to a collar.

"And... What makes you think Akuma would just walk over to you? It's not like you can just take my Pokemon." I tried a tough look, but apparently it just looked rediculous. The guy just laughed out loud and clutched his gut, he was laughing that hard.

"Oh, boy! You're one of the first I've ever met whose talked like that? What, you see your self as some sort of hero? Look, kid. You don't stand a chance against me. Just give up your stuff and I'll let you live. How's that?" Was he messing with me? As if I'd just let him take Akuma and Thorn away from me.

"I don't know who you are, but taking people's Pokemon is wrong. I think you should just go to the Pokemon Rangers and turn yourself in."

"Kid, like I said, stop being a hero. I guess you're gonna chose the hard way." It sounded like the guy liked hearing his own voice. It was really annoying, just hearing his strange accent. It obviously wasn't Sinnoan, so I guessed he was a foreigner. But why would he be trying to steal Pokemon? "You gonna say anything?"

Taking my silence as a "no", he started ordering his Manectric to attack. Akuma, already on standby, leapt into motion and started charging her Dragon's Rage. In an attempt to stop it, the dog started generating enough static to attack.

Having begun charging first, Akuma was the first to release her attack. Being second and close behind, the dog used a ranged bolt of electricity. While it didn't have too much of an effect of her, it did look like it hit hard. The power behind it was enough to destabilize her balance. On the other hand, Akuma's attack wasn't very effective, even if it connected.

"Akuma!" Regaining her calm, the Deino faced back and forth for the position of the doge. The Manectric was moving from place to place with agility I hadn't seen before. Not in real life, at least. The TV was something else.

"Last chance. Just hand over the dragon and you will still be able to walk away." I hated the way he dragged out his A's and O's. Made me grit my teeth, to be honest. I couldn't tell exactly where he was from but it was still annoying.

"You aren't getting my Pokemon. That's final! I don't care what I have to do, but you aren't getting Akuma."

"Heh! You must be a moron or you're the bravest kid I've ever met. Let's see how you deal with this?" Pulling out a knife. I saw it's sharpened edge shine in a ray of sunlight coming through the leaves. A jolt of fear ran through my body, up my spine. No one told me I could bring a knife to this Pokemon fight.

While Akuma and the Manectric were fighting it out, I realized something. While I was under the League Laws of Combat, who was here to enforce it? So what if I gang up on this guy's Pokemon? As fast as I could, before the man with the knife could approach, I withdrew two items.

Thorn appeared in front of me and I held my knife in the other. While my knife might not have been as flashy as his, nor as long, it was still a bladed weapon. It might not be very fair, but he was the one who made it unfair first. I was just playing by his rules now.

"Ah, so you want to fight? For real? And it looks like you've got an itty bitty Budew, too! More for me!" Rushing towards me, the man held up his knife.

"Thorn! Help me get this guy!" Sensing some danger, Thorn immediately reacted by firing a cloud of spores at the man. It was a good move, but I wasn't expecting the guy to so easily attack Thorn. The blade of the knife bit into his planty body at the side, drawing out his purplish green blood.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn? You could've avoided this in the first place. Now, this stuff it really annoying. Seriously, it feels like needles are piercing my skin." Shaking his knife arm, he threw drops of the green blood across the clearing. One drop his my cheek and I flinched.

This was the moment the man was waiting for. When I ducked away, he swung his knife down at me. Using my own knife, I caught the larger blade of his knife. Unfortunately for me, the larger blade meant more weight. While my blade stopped his, the tip of the knife caught my shoulder, leaving an expanding red splotch.

I groaned at the pain, but still struggled to fight off the Pokemon Thief. Akuma was still fighting off the Manectric, but she faced me for a second. Focusing, I shoved the man off me and swung a punch, but he managed to avoid it. He countered with a slash to the torso. While I tried to sidestep, it still caught my coat.

"You're pretty quick, too. I'll give you that. Seems like you know how to fight. Still, you're not good enough!" The knife caught my forearm and bit deeper than the other attacks. Yelping from the pain, I pulled back from the blade and swung at him with my other hand.

One glace at Thorn, I knew I had to finish this quickly. The pain in my arm and the drops of blood said the same thing. If this fight lasted more than a few more minutes, I'd be in trouble. Not to mention, I had to save Thorn. Glaring at him, I rushed the man with the knife and tried to stab him.

When my blade connected, it didn't feel right. Not the same as stabbing a Pokemon. I withdrew a step and waited. Was he wearing some armor underneath, or was human flesh harder than a Pokemon? I didn't understand it!

"Ah, that may pose as a problem later on," the man said, blood dripping off his fingertips. "I haven't had an injury in a long time. I might be losing my edge, huh?" Laughing, the thief flicked his blood around and seemed hysterical. I didn't like the way he simply brushed off pain, acting like nothing had happened. "Was that the wrong time to laugh?"

Advancing, I used my knife to cut his arm injured again, to make sure he could feel the pain he'd caused me. The two knifes met, but not before cutting down into his arm. Twisting my knife, I sent his away from me and made him lose battle. This was the one moment I had to attack!

Bringing my knife down, I caught his torso and stabbed him through the gut. While it wasn't lethal, it was something that could potentially cause some damage. Blood poured out of his stomach and puddled out around him. The feeling in my gut was enough to make me feel sick.

"Thorn!" This wasn't over. Pulling out his Pokeball, I returned him before he lost too much blood. The Pokeball should contain everything inside and prevent him from getting more injured. From getting any worse. Looking back to the Manectric, Akuma was holding her own.

Of course, that's saying she was still standing. Barely. She had several patches of fur burned from electrical shocks and blood was leaking from her shoulder. On the other hand, the dog was only bleeding from a few places. And he didn't seem to be dropping any time soon. I could return Akuma before anything happened to her, but that would leave only me to deal with it. But I did have one option.

Taking out my PokeDex, I quickly dialed the Pokemon Rangers and waited for the ringer to stop. I kept my eyes trained on the fight, to make sure nothing bad happened. When I heard someone pick up, I focused on the woman's voice.

"Hello, Pokemon Rangers. Is there something you need, Trainer?"

"I need a Ranger over here. I'm in Eterna Forest and there's a thief here. It's a Pokemon thief, and he's injured."

"Alright, but we'll need your Trainer ID, so we can track your position. We'll dispatch a Ranger as soon as we know where you are."

"Uh... Hold on a second." Looking at my PokeDex while my call was still active was a bit tricky, but I managed to pull up my credentials. "Alright, my ID is SI863FL-" Halfway through reciting my ID, a bolt from the Manectrc flashed by my face and made me flinch.

"Sorry, Trainer. I need you to tell me your ID one more time." Sighing, I read out my ID once more. It was a bit difficult to focus on two things at once, both the fight and my numbers. "Thank you. We've just sent a Ranger towards your position. Just sit tight, they should be to your position withing ten minutes."

"What!? I need someone here now! My Pokemon are in danger!" As I said that, Akuma was thrown to the ground, but she countered with her dark teeth.

"We don't have any Psychic trainers ready. The other teams have already been dispatched on a different case. Please wait and hold up until the Rangers arrive. Sorry again, Trainer." Hanging up, I groaned. Grabbing my bag, I winced and remembered my injuries. I'd forgotten about my injuries, my arm starting to go numb.

Wrapping my arm with a shirt was the best option, but I was beginning to feel dizzy. The blood was still dripping off my fingers from the earlier attack, as well as from my shoulder. I had to stop the bleeding, so I took out a cloth from my bag and pulled up my sleeve.

Just seeing the wound out in the open made me nauseous. This would not be an easy fix, like one, two, and three. But at least it would work until the Rangers got here. The makeshift bandage was tied tightly around my arm and was immediately dyed red from the blood.

The fight was still in full steam, pushing forward with power, the Manectric was determined to win. Even if it's owner was laying on the ground, bleeding out. I was afraid to approach the dog in case of one thing; Electrocution. The one thing that was the biggest danger here was death by electricity.

"Akuma! Be careful! You can do this!" Moral encouragement was the most I could do. I couldn't fight her enemy on my own, but I could give my support. The time was ticking down until the Rangers got here, so I only had to make sure the ten minutes time limit ran out. Even while she was fighting, if she continued too much farther, she'd either become too exhausted or too injured to continue. This battle had to end soon, before then.

Hearing the sound of wings flapping, I looked up on instinct. Descending through the tree cover was a larger Pidgeot. On it's back was a rider, dressed in a uniform and the symbol of Sinnoh was boldly on the back. One of the Rangers!

"Are you Trainer Kael Lorano? Where is the thief you reported?" Stepping away from the body of the man, I gestured to his position. "He's seriously injured. Are you going to explain this to me, or are you just going to make me interrogate you? You said he was trying to steal your Pokemon, but all you had to do was subdue him."

"You think it was that easy? Stabbing him was the best option. He didn't respond to being cut at all, but he fainted after being stabbed."

"No, no. Start from the beginning. I'll start trying to patch him up while you explain." Taking out a Pokeball, the Ranger released a Breloom. It started bouncing back and forth between Akuma and Manectric. Not attacking just yet, but still interfering from any further fighting.

I called Akuma back to my side, which she obeyed without hesitation. As soon as she was near me, she instantly collapsed from exhaustion and injury. However, the Manectric was something else entirely. The dog turned against the Ranger's Pokemon and began attacking it with fangs crackling with power. Almost as soon as the Manectric attacked, it was met with a fist and knocked into a tree.

"Recall your Pokemon and stand aside. And speak! I want to hear that story. Don't worry about Joey, that Manectric will be neutralized. So, speak up." The Ranger started placing salves and giving him injections to heal the injuries. Following his orders, I recalled Akuma and began at the beginning of the story.

How he'd approached me with his knife and the threat of taking my Pokemon, PokeDex, and wallet. I explained our fight in simplistic terms and a few details. The Ranger nodded and finished patching up the thief as I was finishing up at the part of calling the Rangers.

"I see. I'm going to have to write a report on this. There are several reports on Pokemon Thieves. Good job on catching one. However, I'm going to write a citation for you as well. We can't have some reckless trainer killing people. Seriously, kid. This is serious."

"I was simply protecting myself. I didn't mean to actually almost kill him. I'm sorry." The Ranger used his own Dex to file a report, as well as give me the citation. It was basically a mark on my record, a tick next to my ID. It wasn't something I really wanted to have, but when I was to become Champion, it wouldn't matter.

"Very well. Would you like to be flown back to Floaroma, or will you be fine on your own?" The Ranger threw the thief over his Pidgeot mount and turned back to me.

"Well, my Pokemon are injured, but some rest should heal them."

"You mentioned that your Budew was injured, though. Will it be alright? If not, get on the Pidgeot and I'll take you to the Pokemon Center."

"Uh, I think they'll be fine. Thank you, though. I appreciate the help."

"Same here. By the way, you might want to check out that cut there. Make sure you keep it clean and let it breath once it stops bleeding." Looking down at my arm, I saw it had soaked through the shirt. Thanking the Ranger again, I tightened the shirt to staunch the blood flow. It'd be fine, as long as I kept it wrapped.

Returning his Breloom, as well as capturing the Manectric, he climbed onto his Pidgeot and told it to start flying. It's powerful wings pushed wind into my face, as well as leaves and dirt. I covered my eyes and mouth with my hand until the Ranger was clear of the trees. Sighing, I sat down against a tree and relaxed.

Seriously, who could've known Eterna Forest was this dangerous? And what was that guy's problem? He sounded like he'd been stealing Pokemon for a while. But why would someone need to steal Pokemon? They were partners, and sometimes tools, but not something people should take by force. There was plenty out in the wilderness for everyone.

Feeling drowsy, I started to nod off. It might not have been the best of plans, but I was tired. Yawning, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me.

Snapping awake, it was plenty dark when I stood up. On top of that, my shoulder and arm felt like they'd been stomped on by a Rhyhorn. Groaning, I looked around for somewhere to set up camp. While I had Akuma in her Pokeball, she was also injured. She would need to rest before I let her work again.

Today was a stressful day, as well as tiring. I'd only been awake for half of it, but I was still exhausted. Looking at my arm, I saw the shirt wrapped around it was dried and stiff. While my hand was cold, it still meant I could feel it. Even if my skin looked a little pale, I'd survive it.

First, though, I needed to find some place to camp for the night. It was pretty dark, but my PokeDex came in handy. While I did have my flashlight, it was somewhere in my bag, and I didn't feel like dumping everything out to find it. Using the light from the screen, I managed to find a small clearing.

Looking up, I saw moonlight bleeding through the leaves. While the moon wasn't full, it was close enough, and it helped me relax. Pulling out my tent, I pressed the button to extend the frame. Once I was inside the shelter, I took out Akuma's Pokeball and held it for a while.

I wasn't sure whether or not to let her out to heal, or if I should wait a bit longer. Thorn was still damaged and he would need a lot of time in the sunlight to heal. But Akuma was still well enough to be kept out. Checking the health on her ball, I saw she was at 32%. It wasn't that she was in any danger, but I still wanted to be cautious.

Sighing, I pointed the Pokeball outside the tent and pressed the button. She materialized on the ground, laying there, but she lifted her head and turned back and forth. She looked fine, even with some damage showing through her fur.

"Hey, there. How're you feeling?" The Deino stood up and walked into the tent and laid down next to me. I rested my hand in her matted hair, which she relaxed into. While I was hungry, I was sure she was too. Of course, in the darkness, I had no clue what we could find. Instead, I'd wait 'til day.

Besides that, I was still tired. This entire day was a drag. All I'd done was walk a few kilometers and defended myself from a Thief. Not the best day, if you ask me. Sighing, I laid back onto my blanket and wrapped it around me. Akuma crawled over to me, so she could feel my hand again. Smirking, I rubbed her head and messed up her horn again. Closing my eyes, I tried to get some sleep to help get rid of the pain in my shoulder and arm.

Morning was not very nice, to say the least. While I'd assumed that the pain would fade over night, it only made it feel three times worse. And on top of that, Akuma had apparently rolled over or something in her sleep, now laying on my arm. Groaning, I pushed her off of me and sat up.

Yawning, I stepped out into the brisk morning air and stretched my arms. It was a shame that my coat now had a gash in the sleeve and shoulder, but if I just patched it up, it should be fine. I tried to move my fingers, but they hurt if I tried to grip anything. My scarred shoulder was much the same, hurting if I moved my upper arm.

It was kind of ironic that it was this shoulder that was cut. This would be the third scar left on my shoulder, and I'd hope it didn't start restricting the movement. While it wasn't bleeding, it was obvious it would have a nice scar.

On top of that, my hand still had a burn on it. The skin had been killed by the heat and turned brown. While it was worrying, it looked to be healing. I decided not to mess with it. It didn't hurt too badly, so I could live with it.

Akuma followed me outside and I decided to check out her injuries. Walking over to her, I ruffled her neck fur and looked at a few of the scabs. None of them looked too bad, they just had burn marks and small scratches. She would probably be fine, but she would probably not want to train today. It was a bit of a shame, but I definitely didn't want to do and training either.

While I was curious, as well as concerned, I didn't want to risk Thorn being too heavily damaged to be let out of his Pokeball. I decided not to let him out just yet, but I still wanted to make sure he was alright. I didn't want another Stein. Instead of thinking about it, I simply put his Pokeball in my pocket and began cleaning up camp.

In the darkness of last night, I didn't even set up a fire. It was an easier time to clean up, but not by much. I still had to take down the tent and pack it onto my backpack. Akuma sniffed around the bushes of the nearby forest, looking for something, but I let her be. She didn't need do anything yet, so it was fine. Besides, if she found some breakfast, all the better.

After everything was on my back, I called Akuma to follow. She happily followed me. The forest wasn't creepy. It did hold danger, and I was afraid another thief like yesterday would jump me. But I wasn't scared of trees. In fact, as I walked through the woods, it seemed brighter the deeper we went.

My stomach groaned soon after I started walking. I knew I was hungry, but I didn't know where to look next for a meal. Berries wouldn't be ripe for a good month or two. And while bug Pokemon were prominent, other meatier Pokemon were a bit harder to find.

And when bugs are prominent, there are webs and nests everywhere. I wasn't a fan of bugs or anything. I didn't mind them, as long as they didn't bother me. They had a purpose, so I didn't just kill them outright. And webs were my biggest fear. Whatever made it wasn't as scary, but the fine and sticky threads just gave me the chills. Without Sarah here to see it, I was able to be open about it.

The walking was as boring as ever. Akuma tried to cheer up the mood, being a curious Dragon. She sniffed at saplings, leaves, branches, and Buneary holes. Sometimes it earned her a meal, other times it was knowledge on her constant surrounding. I felt envious for her, even if it might have been harder that way.

As we walked along a path of our own,I felt my PokeDex buzzing in my pocket. Taking it out, I checked my messages and saw it was from Sarah. This couldn't be good.

Hey Kael,

I'm almost to Eterna, so I hope to meet you there by tomorrow or day after. See you soon!

Great. She was going to get there first, and she was expecting me to be there already. And why hasn't she asked me anything since New Years? She only sent these short two or three sentence messages. How was I supposed to respond?

Sighing, I typed in a quick reply, telling her I was somewhere near the middle. It wasn't a total lie, but it would take a while to get to Eterna anyways. Besides, she got a heads start on me. I sent the message, before patting Akuma on the neck.

I continued without breakfast until around noon. That's when I found a solution for lunch. A group of Pachiritsu were hiding until we passed underneath. They began carpet bombing Akuma and I with Seedots. Their hard shells made them sing with the pain they brought.

"Hey! Stop it!" At the sudden shouting, the Pachiritsu stopped for a second. However cute they may look, they were still mischievous. The hail of Seedot continued after the Pachiritsu regained their footing.

In retaliation, Akuma growled at them and scared a few off. The sound and appearance of a Dragon was enough to frighten most away. Most, that is. One was brave enough to stick around.

"Wanna be brave, huh? Seems you could be useful." A confident smile on my face, in spite of having another Seedot thrown at me, I pulled out a Pokeball. Catching a few partners now wouldn't be the worst idea.

Expanding the Pokeball, I prepared to throw it. Halfway through the motion, the Pachirisu threw a larger Seedot at me. It bounced off the Pokeball and a flash of light came from above me. I instinctively dropped the Pokeball and looked at it.

The red circle turned to green and clicked. Inside, a Seedot was captured and I'd wasted a Pokeball. Pulling out another, I told Akuma to subdue the Pachirisu. She opened her maw and breathed a jet of flames. It leapt out of the way and returned fire with an electric shock.

Akuma was still injured from yesterday's battle with the Manectric. I'd definitely say the Manectric was a long way ahead of Akuma, but she'd mainly been on defense and evasive action. That'd saved her from lethal injury. Compared to the Manectric, this Pachirisu was nothing. The shocks that hit Akuma just rippled over her fur and was harmlessly absorbed.

It didn't take much to take out the small electric Pokemon out. It fell out of the trees after getting shot with a Dragon's Rage. While it was motionless, it was also still alive. With a Pokeball in hand, I tossed it at the white and blue trouble maker. To be honest, it was a little weak with no evolution or special abilities. Maybe it was a waste of time, but I still threw the Pokeball anyways.

The red circle successfully turned slowly to green. I was sure the Pachirisu wouldn't be caught that easily, but the circle completed and turned white. Picking it up, I put in my pocket along with the Seedot. I wasn't sure what exactly to do with the Seedot, but it'd have to do for now. I registered them both to my PokeDex and moved on.

Walking again, Akuma followed without a sound. She probably expected to eat the Pachirisu, but this was obviously part of a plan. It's what I assumed she thought about me, at least. Somehow, in the end, it did work out. Almost like I'd planned it, and right on time, three more Pachirisu came out of the bushes.

It was probably to look for their missing comrade, but they made perfect targets for Akuma. She quickly leapt on the unsuspecting trio and tore their bodies in half. It was the most efficient way, it seemed. They died quickly, and it opened the meat for fasted cook times.

Plus, she was hungry. Getting it over faster meant she could eat sooner. Of course, the scene reminded me of the four Pikachu we'd eaten. Why hadn't I just caught one of those, using it once it became a Raichu? Well, what's done is done, and I had a Pachirisu. And some lunch.

The meat tasted similar to the Pikachu, the same tingly and sparking taste. It was somewhat addictive, and I was starting to enjoy it. Akuma obviously didn't care, but it was something I would try again. Tossing the meatless bones aside, I wiped my mouth, and I was ready to move on.

I tossed dirt over the fire I'd built and stamped it out before calling to Akuma. Pachirisu blood was still across her face, but it's not like that was new. But there was something still bothering me. I had Akuma with me, injured but active. Thorn was probably better than I remember him, and most likely only needed sunlight. That's why I made my way to a clearing in clear view of the sun. Would make it easier for him.

Sighing, conceded and took out the small ball and expanded it. I still liked the feel of the slick cover sliding over my fingertips. This was the moment of truth, whether or not he was worse than he could handle. Breathing in, I held my breath before clicking the button.

Thorn appeared on the ground, and I saw his condition. The cut on his side was covered in greenish purple blood, but the cut itself wasn't that deep. Light would be absorbed into his skin, or whatever it is, and help him heal. He was a plant, after all.

Opening his eyes, Thorn looked at me after having been in his Pokeball for a while. Wincing from the pain in my arm, I reached out with my injured arm, to show him my bandaged wounds. We were equally beaten, yet we still won. I was still alive, which was all we needed to know.

He looked fine, but he didn't move. Thorn wasn't really much for moving, so it wasn't much. What did make me look again was his bud. It was getting larger and looked closer to blooming. Which was a good thing! That meant the flower wasn't that far away. Of course, that also meant I didn't have much more time to evolve him. He had to bloom for me this spring, or I'd have to wait another entire year.

I trusted myself to train him, to bond with him enough to make him bloom for me. Cheesy as it sounded, this was the goal to set. If only Sarah was here to help me, it'd be easier to keep on track. She was the only reason I really made as a trainer. To be honest, I didn't know what I was doing on my own.

Doing the best I could, I patched him up with similar bandages to mine. It wasn't much, but it helped stop the bleeding. It wasn't a deep cut, only dropping down a few centimeters at most, but it looked larger next his body. It worried me, but not as much as I'd feared I would.

Thorn was a bit disappointed he wasn't able to stick around until the end. A lot of his fights ended with Akuma helping out. Were I in his place, I'd feel frustrated. Having someone always taking my glory was an embarrassment in itself. It was nice to see he didn't share the violent side of that story.

We rested in the clearing for a while, mainly for Thorn. He needed the sunlight, and it was also pretty enjoyable. Akuma seemed content with her position, rolling in the grass and chewing on some of it. I laid back and closed my eyes for only a moment, just to relax.

About an hour later, Akuma nudged my arm and I woke up from my nap. I winced from the nudging, but I was alright. Yawning, I stretched and looked to Thorn. He was busy absorbing sunlight, but he'd moved a few meters from his original position. After a quick stretch, I walked over to him.

"Sorry, Thorn. I'm gonna have to return you for now. We're walking a fair distance, soso it's best if you're returned." Looking into his eyes, I clicked the button and he disappeared. He'd be safe there until tomorrow when he could rest longer.

Calling to Akuma, we started towards the trees again. I yawned and stumbled a bit from my nap. I was still a bit sleepy, but this wasn't the place to rest too long. Without any sort of cover, we were an open target. In the forest, the dark was one of my allies. I'd already seen the consequences, with my arm already in pain.

With my hand in my pocket, I felt both sets of my Pokemon. The two I'd just captured in one, Akuma's and Thorn's in the other. I couldn't easily decide a name for the Pachirisu, and I had no idea if I was going to keep the Seedot. Now was the time to decide the name, but nothing came to mind when the question was asked.

Looking at my map as I walked through the trees, I saw the landmarks positioned around the forest to help checkmark progress. While I'd gotten used to being off the path, it might be safer back there. They were near the paths, so it wasn't that they were right in the way, but they weren't that easy to find. You really had to know where you were going.

In short, if I was going to do as I promised Sarah, it wouldn't hurt to check out a few of the sites and sights along the way. The bonus was that it was right along the path, so it doubled as a way back. I wasn't lost. Not yet, anyways. At the same time, I almost felt like I was taking someone's help.

Deciding on the journey to the nearest landmark, which happened to only be a wooden checkpoint. Several of these were now highlighted on my map. They were built by the league after several trainers had been lost in the forest. Not many had been killed, but there were a few cases. The outposts were more of a way of leaving bread crumbs, not a guide rail.

Setting off in the general direction of the checkpoint, I called Akuma to follow and adjusted my bag. The journey wouldn't be too long, so I wasn't worried. Since it was around noon, my prediction was that I wouldn't get there until tomorrow, but It wasn't too big of a deal to me anymore.

With Thorn stable and Akuma fine, there wasn't really much to worry about. I know she could handle most things, so I could put my trust in her. Maybe this attitude wasn't the fastest route, but for now, I was content. Sarah was already in Eterna, and I would be a few days, maybe a week late. If she could wait one day, she could wait a month. Of course, I didn't plan on staying in the forest a month, but stuff happens.

.

The wooden checkpoint wasn't really that interesting. It looked like a small solid outhouse, with a sign hanging on it with an arrow. The arrow pointed down the dirt trail, towards Eterna City. What surprised me was the trainers hanging around it. Some of the trainers looked young, while one of them looked to be a bit older.

As I stumbled out of the trees and bushes, most of the younger trainers flinched. One of them even screamed at the sight of me. They quickly calmed down when they realized I was a human, but instantly started screaming when they saw my partner barreling through the bushes behind me.

"W-who are you?" Looking at the young boy questioning me, I saw he was probably a year younger than me. It was surprising to see in his hand was a red Pokeball. Though he wasn't _that_ young, it felt like that. It was amazing as it was, seeing a kid having tamed a Pokemon already.

The same could be said about me, with a Deino by my side, growling at a small group of kids.

"It's alright. I'm just passing by. This is my partner Akuma, and she's pretty friendly. Just be careful, because she does breath fire." It gave me a bit of satisfaction when I mentioned she was dangerous. While she knew not to attack humans, since the thief incident, I didn't know if she still trusted them.

"How do we know... How can we trust you? You're just some trainer with a scary dragon, how do we know you're not some, like, murderer or thief?" Several of the young trainers chimed in, agreeing on the first boy's assumptions. It seemed like I was going to be driven away by a mob of kids, until the older kid stepped forward.

"Hey!" His deep voice boomed over the squabbling little kids. "Now, stop acting like children and shut up for a minute and let the guy explain himself! Jeez, this is why I hate kids." The kids calmed down after being yelled at. It seemed the man wasn't exactly connected to the children, but it also explained what he was here for. He was their guide, or even a bodyguard.

Motioning for me to begin, I started to explain that I was just a trainer traveling through Eterna Forest. I didn't go into much detail with my wounds, but I assured them it wasn't Akuma who gave me the cuts. My story was pretty brief, but it got the point across. I was here to do harm.

"Well, well. You said you were going to Eterna for your next badge? What says you if you battled one of these kids? All of them are fresh from Oreburgh, and are probably still a bit suspicious of you. Why not just give them what they want? And kids, remember to send out your strongest trainer. This young man, Kael, was it? That dragon is not to be taken lightly."

At the mention of her, Akuma perked up and opened her maw. A battle, huh? A sly grin crept across my face. Even in her wounded state, kids straight from Oreburgh would be a piece of cake. Rubbing my arm where Akuma had bit me months ago, I agreed to the fight.

I knew there would be more trainers along the path, taking the safer route through the forest. I'd been expecting a fight, even if it was as early as this. And now it was my time to be a bit cocky and show these little kids just who they were dealing with. I was going to be champion, after all.

"C'mon, Akuma. Time for a little practice. What do you say?"

* * *

 **Well, that was nice. The forest is a lovely place, right? I'm not sure if I described it right, but I hope that went alright. I'm really not sure how to describe a forest, even if I practically lived in one for 15 years. It might be because of that...**

 **The scene with the kids should be fun. Beating up smaller prey might not be honorable, but they're sorta asking for it.**

 **I'll try to write the story as fast as I can, as well as make a few pushes. You know, for a few different ideas. Let's hope it works out.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

Pachirisu - Pachirisu

Seedot - Seedot


	10. After an Eterna

**Well, after an entire day of raging at War Thunder Japanese tanks, I decided to start writing. What is it, almost four? Yeah, I'm a lazy bum on the weekends. I know, I should write faster, but I've been demotivated...**

 **I'm not really in the mood to make one of these writer's intro thingies, but it really means something when you leave reviews. Thanks for the reviews, simronchouhan and Jackltc00. Good to know you enjoyed the last chapt** **er, even with the faults.**

* * *

One of the kids stepped up with a flashy Pokeball in his hand, complete with a league sticker. He had an uncertain smile, but a swaggering stride. It was kind of contradicting, but made me laugh. It was a small snicker, but a laugh all the same. This probably wouldn't last very long, but I was confident they didn't have anything too powerful if they were fresh from Oreburgh.

"Even with that Dragon of yours, you don't stand a chance against my Blade!" It made me curious what Pokemon he would name Blade, but the image of a Scyther or Pawniard came to mind. Though it might be a bit tougher if he did send out one of the two, I doubted he'd have actually captured one of them.

"Right, then send it out and we'll see. I don't think I have time to mess around with children." I might have been slightly too cocky, but when the kid sent out his Pokemon, I almost paled. I'd never seen this one before, and it honestly scared me. It was a floating sword, sheathed in it's elaborate scabbard. A tattered red cloth hung from the grip, slowly waving in a non-existent wind.

I scanned the sword Pokemon with my PokeDex and looked at it's details. It was a Pokemon called Honedge, a possessed sword from several years ago. It was the first stage of it's evolution. Not much else was listed. Other than saying it was something akin to something found as family heirlooms or in ruins of medieval buildings.

"So, all you've got is a family heirloom, huh? Should be a piece of cake to take out. I think I can even see a little rust on it, near the hilt." I smirked with confidence and moved in an exaggerated fashion. Like a possessed saber could do much. If anything, it was probably only made for looks rather than power. "Akuma, looks like your opponent has appeared. You ready?"

"You've got some nerve, talking like that! Blade is way more powerful than that lame Deino! I'll show you!" Hearing the name again, I saw how generic and lame it was. Naming a blade Blade was just stupid. Besides the Pokemon, the trainer was full of cliche lines and probably generic moves.

"I do believe he's insulted you, Akuma," I said with false shock, before feigning annoyance. "C'mon already, kid. Everyone's watching, and I'm getting tired of arguing."

"Get him, Blade! Cut him up!" Rolling my eyes, I called for Akuma to give it a little puff of breath. She looked around, left and right. Since the Honedge was floating, it made little noise. It moved silently through the air, until it was ready to strike. The sound of a sword being drawn was all Akuma needed to focus in on it's position less than two meters from her.

The small group of kids backed up as blue flames engulfed the ghostly blade and lit up the dark forest. The young man, probably an adult, actually stepped forward and leaned on the wooden checkpoint. I saw him in the corner of my eye, and I questioned why he even wanted me to battle. The fact he was interested made me cautions, yet curious.

"Akuma! Move in close and bite it in half!" Getting the upper hand from surprise was a common tactic. Even if I didn't know the result of the first attack, I didn't hear either Akuma or the Honedge make a sound. Before I could understand the outcome, the sword warped beside Akuma, coming straight out of her shadow. Looking to the kid, he had a cynical smile on his face.

 _Damn it!_ I opened my mouth to try to make a noise to warn Akuma, but the sharp blade had already swung.

Having sharp senses and lightning reflexes were the only things that saved her. She escaped danger by using her longer tail to knock the falling edge away from her body. Even should I saw blood running down her side, she was still able to continue fighting. I sighed and focused on the Honedge. It was a tricky one, if it was able to simply warp around like that.

Following my earlier order, Akuma opened her jaws and a shadowy set of teeth materialized around the phantom blade. They chomped down from a distance and held it in place, as well as dealing some damage. The Honedge started shrieking, sounding like a mixture between fingernails against a chalkboard and some man screaming though metal. It was a creepy sound, forcing me to cover my ears.

"Blade, use your edge! Just kill that Dragon already!" The boy I was facing seemed worked up, versus me. My blood was simmering and my hands were clenched, but my head was level. If he made a desperate stab towards me, Akuma would be able to defeat him. The plan was perfect.

The sword's scabbard floated near the blade, and I saw a face on the surface. A single eye and a ghostly smile was looking at Akuma with a glare, but occasionally glanced at me. Every time it did, shivers ran down my spine. It was true I wanted a ghost Pokemon, but fighting one was not fun.

Looking at the Honedge, I imagined it wouldn't be able to use anything other than physical, up and personal attacks. When the sheath and sword crossed, I was surprised, before deafened from the sharp sound of metal against metal. I covered my ears to block out the ringing and I was sure Akuma would be trying to do the same. It honestly felt like my ears would bleed.

When the ringing stopped, I looked up to see Akuma and the Honedge still fighting. Her teeth were keeping the blade in place, but also kept her from releasing any flames without injuring herself. While she could probably still release a flame, it would most likely burn her maw. Worse, it could also make her loose grip on the metal.

It was a stalemate, so either one of them had to withdraw to attack again. I didn't want to say anything in case the kid countered. I wouldn't take the chance, but he might. I just hoped the battle would stay in my favor, because Akuma might get tired of holding the sword in place.

"Blade! Retreat, then go for the Trainer!" Hearing the decision he'd made, I called Akuma to retreat as well. I saw the Honedge sink into the ground, through Akuma's shadow. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck and I rolled to the side just in time for Akuma to leap over me. She used her body and claws to capture the Honedge underneath her.

"Akuma, do it. You know what I want you to do." An understanding order was given to cripple the opponent's Pokemon. Giving my enemy an extra negative to chase me. Akuma started off with bending the sword, resulting in a piercing shriek. She opened her maw and gathered a blue ball of energy to attack the pinned ghost underneath her.

After an explosion, the kid tried to recall his Pokemon, but the Pokeball would not work. A bubble of fear started to form in my throat, afraid I'd accidentally just killed his Pokemon. The blade Pokemon was lying underneath Akuma, it's tip bent and it was covered in dirt and soot. The golden guard was flaking and didn't look nearly as elegant as before.

"Blade!" The kid rushed to his "Pokemon", even though it was more useful as a sword as what had possessed it. I didn't exactly feel bad about hurting his Honedge, but I was afraid of what would happen if it was dead. Thoughts of the Ranger from two days ago made me a bit nervous. He'd said my Pokemon was dangerous, including the fact I'd already been given an official citation, I was on the fence.

"You killed my-" The kid was outraged, but the guide stepped between him and me. "What are you doing?! Get out of my way, or I'll cut you too!" The boy picked up his Honedge and held it as if he would attack the man, but it's weight dragged his arm down. It was a full steel Kalosian sword, after all.

"Just shut up, Angus! It's a ghost Pokemon. After you repair the medium, Blade should return good as new. Besides, you've got three other Pokemon. You've lost, now pay up and move on." Four Pokemon, huh? No wonder he'd won against Roderick. Angus stepped up and threw a few crumpled bills at me. It was nice to know his Pokemon wasn't permanently dead.

"This won't be the last you've seen of me, Kabage or whatever! I'll beat you to getting the Eterna Badge, so you'd better be ready when I beat you after that!" I thought it was weird that he'd be gripping a ghost's medium, but with it being dispersed, it seemed safe. With the fact that most ghost Pokemon feed on those that touched them, it was strange he'd readily grab it.

Some of the kids of Angus' group approached me to apologize, but I just gathered his money and pocketed it. Akuma didn't have much blood leaking from her shoulder, but she was still injured. I didn't really care about their friend's behavior. My cocky attitude was changed to concern for Akuma, a higher priority than children. Well, younger trainers, at that.

Now was the time I wish I'd bought more than just Pokeballs. A few potions, and maybe a few Pokemon snacks. They would've helped in a situation like this.

"I'm sorry these kids caused you any trouble," the older trainer apologized. "I just wanted to see what you were made of, don't take it personally. It's interesting to see such a young trainer like you with something as dangerous as a Deino. Though you probably have shortened your lifespan. Those creatures are named the Irate and Brutal Pokemon for a reason. Even if you are only two or three years younger than me."

"It's fine. I was itching for a fight anyways. But I think I'll make sure my life lasts long enough. Akuma wouldn't harm me too bad. She's pretty loyal to me. We've been together for close to six or seven months now. I think I'm alright."

"I wouldn't be so certain. A Deino is still very dangerous, so I wouldn't take her lightly. They're one of the strongest Dragon lines, even if they do have a few disadvantages."

"You sound like you know a lot about Deino. Are you some sort of expert of something?" Memories of the time I'd spoken to the Pokemon Guild Leader before the Gate. He'd warned me as well, showing me scars of his encounter with Dragons. Something about getting two warnings about my Pokemon seemed a little strange, but it also gave me confidence. If anyone could train one right, I'd make sure it was me.

"I'm just someone who's heard the rumors. Haven't you? The four Hydreigon on top of Mt. Coronet have been fighting the Haxorus up there. It started about a week ago, if I remember correctly. Right before these kids nagged me to show them through this damned forest."

"Why'd you accept the offer, even if you hate kids, and this forest? You could've easily done something else."

"Why'd they even ask me? I don't have any Psychic Pokemon, but they saw one of my battles out here and forced me to lead them. And somehow managed to pick up a decent balance of money. Seriously, twelve fifteen-year-old boys and girls can pay a lot." Ah, so they basically bribed the guy.

"Well, it was fun battling and all, but I should care for my own Pokemon. Sorry for breaking the kid's, Angus', Pokemon. Hope he can recover it soon. I don't want to be the reason he lost his Pokemon."

"Don't worry about it. He should be fine after a day or two, though he will be a pain until then. I'm not exactly sure about repairing a sword, since I'm not a blacksmith, but I'd imagine it shouldn't be too difficult. Besides that, he's been a pain in my side since the beginning. He deserved to be taken down a notch. You honestly helped me."

"Well, I guess it's fine. He was pretty aggressive. What ever his problem is, I don't want any part of it."

"What's your name, kid. I'm interested in you and your Pokemon."

"Kael Lorano, from Floaroma."

"Lorano, huh? I'll be sure to keep my ears open for you. I'm sure that, with a Deino, you should make some sort of news." I gave the man a quick nod before calling to Akuma. I was done here, and I was iching to get going. The daggers being stared towards me were an obvious sign I wasn't welcome.

I kept glancing over my shoulder at the kid named Angus. His friends kept tousling his blonde hair and some of the girls seemed a bit close to him. While it was unimportant, I decided I didn't like the guy. Something about him didn't sit right with me, even if he wasn't holding the Honedge anymore. There was just something off about him.

Shaking it off, I continued through the forest, down the path. Sticking to road was the best option for now, but only because I didn't feel like facing any tougher Pokemon than the Honedge. Trainers on the trail would be adequate experience for Akuma and Thorn. On top of that, I needed to help Thorn evolve sooner than later.

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose. It was stressful to be with people, especially smaller kids. Akuma started making strange noises, turning from side to side. She seemed to be a bit anxious after the fight with the Angus kid, but after she caught a small Bunneary in her jaws, I shook my head.

The whole forest was an entire pocket of stress. Annoyances, at most, but it was still tiring. Considering that I only had a limited amount of time. Sarah was waiting for me in Eterna, so it's not like I had time for side quests. So I had no time to hesitate. Shaking my head, I picked up the pace while Akuma enjoyed her snack.

.

By the time it was evening, I'd already encountered a Meowth prowling the forest floor. I guessed it was looking for something shiny, but with it's medallion on it's forehead, it made it quite hard to resist. Plus I was hungry. Two for one logic at it's finest.

After Akuma started the fire, I tried to skin the Meowth with my knife. Unfortunately, the skin of the Meowth wasn't as easy to separate as I'd expected. When everything was said and done, the meat was a bit roughed up, but I had the beige fur off of the cat. In a few separate pieces, sure, but still. All that was left was the medallion.

Seeing as it was fused to the skull, it was difficult to break off. Of course, I still managed, but only after breaking part of the skull underneath it. With it's brain spilling out, I had no use for the head. It was easier just to lop it off. Akuma had her meal by swallowing it, bones and all.

I'd done it a dozen times before, and cooking was simple as always. Not that I wanted to be a chef or anything, but I would say I'd gotten better. It was a fast meal, seeing as the Meowth was only a few ounces of meat. Akuma was happy enough to clean up while I put up the tent.

Battling with that kid had exhausted me, even if I wasn't even doing much in that fight. Groaning, I just laid there on my sleeping bag. The pain ceiling of the tent didn't help. Thoughts of the recent days were worrying me.

The Honedge, even if it was aiming to take my life, had been broken. It could return, according to that older trainer, but I still felt bad for not doing anything to really apologize. The sound of its shrieks resounded in my head and I grabbed the bridge of my nose and sighed. All I was doing was giving myself a headache.

Deciding not to think about it was easy enough, but actually doing that was harder. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. It probably was a bad idea to even try to hurt it like I did, but I didn't expect it to actually die.

Rolling onto my side, I ran my fingers through Akuma's fur. She always calmed me down. Considering that I'd been with her since the beginning of this journey. While Herdier was my childhood friend, nothing could replace Akuma. We'd shared too many battles together for that.

Sighing again, I held up the two Pokeballs I'd used on the Seedot and Pachirisu. I still hadn't let either of them out yet, since I didn't know whether or not I was keeping them. It wasn't the best idea to catch the Pachirisu, and the Seedot was an accident. I was strongly considering it, even if it did cost me two Pokemon. They were set as reserved Pokemon on my PokeDex, but I honestly didn't know what I was going to do with them.

When I sold the Luxio, it was more out of spite. I had hardly considered it's battle potential, but it's not like I was going to keep it anyways. One of those had killed Stein, so there was no way I'd actually use it. Indecision was a pain in the butt, even after thinking it through clearly.

Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thought by practicing some martial arts and doing pushups. I knew I was still rusty on exercise, seeing as I was out of breath before the fifth push up. Still, I kept going. Until my head felt like my ears would implode and my fingers were numb, I continued to lift myself off the dirty forest floor.

After the pushups, I rested for a minute before doing some punches and kicks. It wasn't like I remembered anything. The only reason I'd memorized anything was to progress. With no reason to remember it anymore, I just forgot. Much like school and all my classes.

Akuma just "watched", listening to my breathing and movements, while she laid in the entrance to my tent. She didn't really move, just observed my fighting. My training. I thought about training with Thorn, but with the sun having gone down already, I wasn't so sure. I'd let him out to heal yesterday, but I wanted to give him one more day. His wound still hadn't healed.

Finally, when my shoulder and forearm were burning, I flopped on the ground and I checked the scabs. The one on my forearm was still sealed, but was slightly inflamed. However, my shoulder had a bit of blood leaking from it. I groaned at I'd have to clean it up later. Mainly because I didn't feel like patching myself up.

Instead of caring for myself, I crawled into the tent and took of my coat and hoodie. My body heat was enough to keep a house warm. This tent was warm enough as it was.

Akuma laid down next to me as I was back to looking at the boring tent ceiling. Sighing one last time, I rolled on to my side and closed my eyes. This day had been long enough. Besides, my pillow had a sweet voice. Who could resist that?

.

 _The sound of high pitched wailing pierced the atmosphere like a spear to the heart. My ears felt like they would go deaf from the noise. Looking around, I recognized the forest clearing as the one near Oreburgh. Instantly I shook my head. This was_ that _Dream. The one of Stein and the Luxray. I heard the crackling of breaking rocks mingle with the screaming._

 _Out of the trees, a man emerged. He was the Pokethief from the other day. Blood pooled out of his chest and was smeared across his face. I felt my breath catch in my throat and fear made my spine tingle. My arm and shoulder burned and I looked down. Blood was leaking out of my wounds._

 _Looking back to the man, I saw him smiling with a large knife in his hand, dripping with blood. A red pool was expanding at his feet, with fragments of rock lying in it. I knew it was Stein, it just had to be. I'd buried him! Why was he here!?_

 _When a Honedge appeared, I knew what was going to happen. The ghostly shadow behind it wavered and distorted, before the tassel at the end of the handle reached out for me. The fabric manifested into a hand and wrapped around my throat. I struggled to breath as I felt my air pipe close off._

I woke up with a yell as I gasped for air, sweat dripping down my forehead. Akuma jumped up and listened for any attackers. I saw her teeth bared in the darkness. In the silent, except for my heavy breathing, there were no intruders or enemies to be heard. When she couldn't find a threat, she opened her mouth and whined.

"Sorry. Just had a bad dream. Don't worry about it. You can go back to sleep." I sat up and tried to catch my breath, but my hands kept shaking. I unzipped the front of the tent and stepped out, after seeing that Akuma was sleeping again. I didn't bother bringing my hoodie. With my body burning as it was, I didn't need it.

Outside, the night was dark and cold. Even if it was usually colder by now, it was still could. Sinnoan or not, it was still cold. My internal heat was burning, but my skin was cold from my sweat. I climbed up into a tree and sat there, watching the forest floor. I was tired from climbing the tree, but the dream was still fresh in my mind. I didn't want to sleep again.

After I came down from the tree, I was shivering from the cold. I'd calmed down enough to even be cold. I wandered back to the tent and closed my eyes. I laid my hand on Akuma before falling back to sleep, hoping no other dreams would assault me.

.

The whole next week was pretty bland. All the trainers I met, even if some of them were older than me, only two defeated me. It was a bit painful to hand over a wad of the cash I'd earned, but most of it had already been given to me. Thorn took it better than Akuma, so it was a bit better than having to calm down both of them.

Thorn had accepted it like he had before, just closing his eyes and resting in the sun. Akuma, on the other hand, needed to prove she hadn't disappointing me. She lit a tree on fire, tore a bush clean out of the ground, and tore a Digglet to pieces before I stopped her. It wasn't surprising she was a sore loser. I was as well, somewhat.

Even though I lost twice, I'd won several times for every loss. I still made a hefty profit. My cocky attitude might have been my downfall in both of my defeats, but that didn't stop me from beating several other trainers. I felt bad for one or two, who had rediculously weak Pokemon, but since they were traveling to Jubilife for the exam, I didn't take their cash.

While I decided to keep the Pachirisu, it was more as a pet than a fighting partner. They were weak, but that just meant I could carry it while in towns and cities. Since it didn't have a purpose, and without even knowing it's gender, I named it Fuzz Ball. Not that it was spherical, but because it's tail was at least the same size as it's body. Most of it was fur, making it look fuzzy.

It took several sessions together to get it to behave passively, as it was still quite wild. Being the forest, it's home, made it harder. Any moment I let my eyes off of it, Akuma or Thorn had to get in it's way. The trees probably were my enemy in this sort of situation.

The Seedot, while I knew what it evolved into, I didn't know if I really wanted to keep it. It was an accident to begin with, that I caught him in the first place. Besides, even if I did evolve it into a Nuzleaf, where was I going to find a Leaf stone to evolve it again. The price for one most likely would be a pain in and of itself.

There were several Pokemon that were considered unknown. Pokemon like Aegislash and Gengar. Both are well known Ghost Pokemon. Even though a few of the more popular or powerful trainers have them, most don't know the methods of their evolution. Some that even have these Pokemon don't know how they evolve.

Secrets like breeding and evolution are heavily guarded, and only revealed to certain people. Some of the secrets had been revealed decades ago. Shiftry, a powerful Grass type, could only be obtained with a special evolution stone. Some say it was a Dark Stone, while others believed it was a Leaf Stone. I wasn't sure about it myself, but I guessed it would be the Leaf Stone. The truth was always valued higher than lives, so the exact details were unknown.

After the words from that guide traveling with Angus and those kids, I looked to the News and read reports on the four Hydreigon that lived on top of the mountain were attacking the late Champion's Haxorus. It had caused several dark clouds to circle the peak. Some people had written in, saying it would turn out to be a repeat of the hurricane from a year and a half ago. It lead me to try and research into Hydreigon as much as possible.

The fact that some believed that a stone was necessary to evolve a Zweilous was chocked up to the extremely long amount of time it spent as a Deino. It worried me if Akuma could be overpowered the older she got. It was certain, but it was my fear. I didn't want her to lose more than she already had.

We made great progress towards Eterna, passing several of the Checkpoints. Some days I didn't bother following the trail, as it did curve and bend in some places. I tried to make sure Akuma and I walked as much as possible, but stopped for meals and training.

Thorn also recovered from the slash on his side. I'd made sure to let him drink up as much sunlight as possible, until the gap sealed and left a lighter green scar. And even then, that didn't last long. The chlorophyll filled the seal and returned it to it's proper color. He didn't have to worry about scars like us Hu-mans. He was a plant, after all.

I was still a bit reserved to train with him, but once we started, he didn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort. If anything, he was relieved he could actually do something. Akuma healed up as well, even after being my main fighter for the majority of the battles. Fuzz wasn't much of use during training, but with two Pokemon practicing nearby was intimidating.

Most of the checkpoints were just wooden signs and statues for the most part, but a few were real landmarks. The last real landmark on the way to Eterna was the Old Haunted Chateau. While it was still on the way, I knew it might slow me down. And after the nightmare, I didn't feel like seeing any more ghosts.

For the most part, I didn't stay around people long enough to really talk to them. I just took their money and left, to be honest. Sure, it was nice to see that civilization still existed, out here in the forest, but I didn't really want anyone to talk to me. I just felt... I don't know... Like I was creep? Like I wasn't someone to be trusted?

Even though my knife didn't have any blood on it, and I washed it at every opportunity, I still didn't like to keep in on my hip anymore. The memory of stabbing that man haunted me, and made the knife feel dirty and unsafe. It hadn't bothered me at first, but with the fear that I'd killed someone hanging over me, I didn't want to be the result of another injury.

The trail was boring. Not many Pokemon, other than things like Weedle or Venipede. Bugs were fine as part of the scene, but they didn't do too well as food. I knew Sarah would've hated them, as she had said she hated bugs. Honestly, they were more of a nuisance than disgusting. Akuma only enjoyed burning them, before being disgusted at the taste.

Some time after my second battle that day, things started to get...weird. I'd turned off the path for a "shortcut", not that I lost my way, when the trees started bending and waving, as if they were being melted. A headache started to form just watching. When the ground started to turn, I lost balance and fell on my ass. Akuma growled at the trees, but I just couldn't stand.

After things started changing, I just closed my eyes and sat up. My head felt like it was sitting from the scene, and I was starting to feel motion sick. Even though I wasn't moving, I saw that it was. I grabbed the sides of my head and held it between my knees. Akuma made strange noises, but I couldn't focus on where they were coming from. Directions were hard when they changed every few seconds.

When everything returned from being distorted, Akuma hung her head in shame. Guessing, it was probably a Ghost Pokemon. It was my natural response to events like these. If Akuma couldn't get it, the Pokemon was probably like Ghastly or something. Haunting a Medium made easier to touch, even if the medium could become ethereal. The Honedge proved that when it sank into the ground to teleport.

I groaned as the nausea faded. I nearly puked, but I held myself together. Even if I did want a Litwick, after dealing with all the recent ghosts, I didn't know if looking for one in the Haunted Chateau was a good idea. Would I even be able to train one? All the research notes and documents I looked up on Litwick claimed it was dangerous, but after I'd caught Akuma, I thought I'd be okay. Now, I was unsure.

Akuma continued to just mope while I stared at the ground through my legs. It must have been half an hour before I moved from the ground, and by then my legs had fallen asleep. The next few minutes were a bit painful as blood returned to them, but after that, I halfheartedly called for Akuma to follow. That was my first encounter with true illusions.

Several days later, I had a similar experience while off the trail. It was like the world had turned into a kaleidoscope and spun around again. Akuma growled and screeched at the attacker. My headache returned and I stumbled while the world changed colors rapidly. The ground felt solid enough, but whatever was throwing my senses into wack was only messing with my sight.

It stopped after about a minute, but not before I felt something slam down on top of my head. Shaking my head, something fell off me and the illusions stopped. While it's focus was on me, Akuma helped by engulfing it in her incendiary breath. I only saw it for a moment, but I recognized it as a Zorua.

Once the flames cleared, the Zorua was gone, but a new Pokemon was in it's place. A brown Bunneary was there, and squeaked from the burns on it's side. While I did take a bit of pity on the injured Bunneary, I didn't fall for the obvious trick. Having been tricked twice, I was not going to fall for an illusion a second time. Besides, the tail was grey and red, not brown and white.

Tossing a Pokeball from hand to hand, I expanded it and waited for the right moment to capture it. This one would be useful, on top of being able to help Akuma develop her dark powers. While it might rowdy now, I didn't need it following me and casting illusions that made me sick to my stomach.

After a raking from Akuma's claws, the Zorua released it's illusion. Deinos are blind, so illusions didn't work. Scent and sound couldn't just be masked from her that easily. With it given up it's innocence, it retaliated with a set of lupine claws. They almost harmlessly scratched Akuma, but she took advantage of the short distance and Headbutted the Zorua to the ground.

That was my chance. I tossed my Pokeball on it, forcing it to disappear in a flash of red light. I snapped my fingers and watched the circle slowly change from red to green. Half way through, though, the Zorua burst from the ball and leapt onto Akuma's back. It's small but sharp fangs bit into her neck.

As strong as Akuma was, she couldn't reach what was on her back. That required my assistance. Rushing forward, I booted it off her back. While my heel grazed her back a bit, Akuma was able to retaliate with her own teeth. Both tried to lock with the other's throat, but they were both about the same size. An equal fight.

Akuma might have been blind, but in such close proximity, she knew where she was aiming. The Zorua gnashed it's teeth, but was only ripping out strands of fur. I didn't know how I could help, but the fact stood that I didn't really need to.

Even with the Zorua getting inside and underneath Akuma, she just used her superior strength to force it to the ground. It was helpless while pinned, but it also meant she couldn't do much either. With only two more Pokeballs, I didn't feel like wasting them.

It seemed like the Zorua and Deino came to an agreement as they both jumped away from each other. They began circling, with Akuma making strange screeching noises while the Zorua started whistling a high pitched bird call. The smooth shell of the Pokeball was under my fingers and I began sweating in anticipation.

A jet of blue flames shot across to the Zorua, catching it in the side and singeing it's grey fur. It obviously felt the pain from that one, falling and crying while I just watched. My blood felt like ice and I burned to throw the Pokeball and capture it already. Patience was important in a situation like this.

The boom from the Dragon's Rage didn't echo like it would over a plains. It was instead concentrated and made my ears hurt. After the dust settled, the Zorua was still and laid with several dead leaves on it's fur. I took the opportunity to throw the Pokeball and catch it.

The dark lupine Pokemon disappeared in a red flash and the Pokeball fell to the ground. The red circle started counting down to green and I watched as it changed. My hands were sweating from the tension. Akuma growled at the last impact point, the fallen Pokeball, and waited for the Zorua to make a move.

When the green circle turned white and disappeared, I was confident enough to approach it. Even though I'd only really caught it to stop the kaleidoscope illusions, it would probably come in handy later. No clear ideas or plans came to mind when I thought about it, but I was sure it would be useful. It could hide behind illusions and shadow, and could even disable opponents. I picked up the Pokeball and pocketed it. My third combat Pokemon.

After I registered it to my PokeDex, I called for Akuma to follow. She understood what it meant for me to catch a Pokemon. It was addition to the team, like Thorn. That, or it was my way of fighting. Seeing through Akuma's eyes was, at best, a guess. While I'd gotten better at knowing what to expect from her. Her nature was pretty predictable, seeing that she was territorial and protective.

I returned to the trail, since it wasn't much of a shortcut anymore. Enough time has been wasted on the Zorua. Trees passed by while I rubbed my temples. Even though my nausea and dizziness was gone, a lingering headache still annoyed me. Sighing, I focused on the path and continued along it until dark.

.

It was the sixteenth of March by the time I reached the Haunted Chateau. While I didn't feel like searching for a Litwick in the ruins of the collapsed building, it was only because I didn't know if I could handle it. Still, I did look at it. The roof had fallen in and left most of the walls in tact. The front wall had collapsed a bit, allowing me to see into the top floor.

It was still in great condition, considering it's age. While it was collapsed and in disrepair, it was still chock full of Ghost Pokemon. Even though there weren't too many Pokemon inside, it was rumored to attract more to replenish those that are captured there. Still, I didn't feel like going in.

Akuma made a whining noise when I called her away from the Chateau. I looked back at her, and she made motions to go towards it, but I called her away. We didn't have the time to waste on training in the Chateau. She moped around while she followed me away from the mansion.

It might have been hypocritical of myself, saying I couldn't waste time. I'd been training almost every night since Thorn recovered. It might not have been necessary, but I needed to do it. We worked on abilities with Akuma, to help her strengthen Thunder Wave and Dragon's Breath. Even if the distance increased, Akuma was unable to sustain it for very long.

I had Thorn practice and exercise his physical side of combat. He'd always been fragile and frail, so I helped him develop his defensive strengths to things like bruised and shallow cuts. He sparred against Akuma when possible, or simply just developed his strengths with Akuma. She and him were growing stronger.

Fuzz was still a bit rebellious and didn't bother listening to me. It usually just had to be returned to it's Pokeball and repositioned to a more restraining place. While I managed to get him to stop running away from me and my team, but it mostly just threw stuff at us. It was annoying, but I had to keep trying. Even if it was never going to fight, I still wanted to have it obey me. Carrying it would give me some more status as a trainer, but only if it was actually obedient.

That was every evening, before Akuma and I went hunting for dinner. Fuzz Ball ate berries, so I didn't worry about hunting for it. Thorn only needed sunlight and water, and Akuma just required a single Pokemon. Though she usually ate more than that. The Zorua I'd caught... Well, after reading the Pokeball's health report, the kick I'd given it had broke two of it's ribs and it suffered from second degree burns.

I continued down the path for hours. The trees were beginning to thin out, getting younger and smaller the further I went. The end of the forest was nearing. I faced a few trainers either passing me or on their way back from Eterna. Some faced me in battle, but some of the girls didn't want to battle me. Cowardly, but understandable. I guess only Sarah and July were different.

The entire day passed with Akuma slightly put off by not getting a chance at the Chateau, but she perked up at the chance to battle. Spending day after day with her, I was starting to see she enjoyed battling more. Sighing, I pinch my nose while watching her after we walked away from another win. To be honest, I was getting tired of these battles. They were getting way too easy.

By the time the sun set, I'd set to training already. I tried to get my own exercises in at the same time, but today I wasn't feeling it. Watching my Pokemon was the best I could do, occasionally showing Thorn what to do or attempting to talk to Fuzz Ball. It still didn't listen to me, but instead just hid behind it's large and fluffy tail.

After training for a good hour and a half, I called it and returned both Fuzz and Thorn. Akuma was still recovering from her exercises after I stopped her. Once she was ready, we went to a stream and I let her drink. I also let out Thorn momentarily so he could absorb some water as well. He did look a little droopy, I noticed.

We went further into the forest for a good meal. Akuma had a sharp nose and ears, so she didn't have much difficulty finding something. Even if it wasn't an electric type, which I'd discovered I quite enjoyed, it was still meat. After Akuma killed one of the two sleeping Slakoth, she went after the second one to eat herself. They never saw it coming and slept through it all.

It was a bit weird to find Slakoth so near the ground. I'd read that they were always near their food of leaves and berries, but why were they stuck to the side of a tree's trunk? While Akuma ate, I took the first Slakoth off the tree and made sure to break off it's sharp claws. They were dangerous to even look at. They'd be even worse if it was a Vigoroth. Luckily, there were no markings of one nearby.

Once we were finished with the Slakoth, I lead Akuma back to the stream for her to wash and drink before setting up camp nearby. I set up the usual pit for the fire and the tent. It didn't really matter where, since there was plenty of room when the trees were small enough for me to wrap my arms around and fairly spread out. Akuma laid down once she lit the wood I'd brought, relaxing.

The Slakoth was a strange creature to eat. Not saying I'm some sort of connoisseur of any sort, but it was mostly fat and there was hardly any actual meat at all. I still ate it, but it was basically like eating a Pidgey legs coated in batter and deep fried in solid grease. Wait, it basically was just like that. Without the Pidgey, though.

After the dinner, I laid down on the grass. It had been a while since I'd seen grass like this. Even back when I started into the forest, the grass was still trying to grow. It also told me I was almost there. I'd probably be leaving the forest by tomorrow, and arriving in Eterna the day after.

And then I'd see Sarah again.

My thought shifted onto her. Now that I was so close, I couldn't help it. What was I going to say to her? What would she say to me? I pulled at my longer hair, having neglected cutting it while I was at home. Was it too long? My insecurities felt like huge problems, especially when I thought of Sarah.

Breathing, I calmed down enough to say it was fine. It'd been a while, sure, but I doubt she'd simply say I looked stupid or something. Maybe my clothes or hair needed fixing, but after all the battling I'd done, I'd probably have zero troubles with that. I sighed and relaxed.

Akuma padded over to me and sat down next to me when she bumped into my shoulder with her nose. My hand drifted over and rested against her rough dark fur. It was getting darker blue, almost purple, but it might've just been the moonlight. I ran my hand through it and felt her bones and muscles under her skin moving against me. She was my partner. I just hoped that didn't change.

I got up after a few minutes and headed to the tent, Akuma behind me. Yawning, I stepped inside and sat down. I took my bag and coat off and pulled out Sarah's blanket, the one she'd given me. She hadn't asked me about it, nor had she really messaged me about anything.

Maybe she was upset with me, or perhaps she just didn't want to talk to me? Either way, we'd agreed to meet in Eterna, so that could be the only reason she was even going there. I laid back and wrapped myself in the blanket. Why did I have to think of this now? It hadn't been a problem before, so why was I worrying? Even if I knew it was stupid, the though was stuck in the back of my mind.

Akuma laid next to me and relaxed, while I stared at a cloth wall. Why did I have to think of Sarah? Maybe it was my desperation for someone I was familiar with or normal human interaction? Even after all the people I'd meet and beaten over the two weeks I'd been here, by I didn't talk much with anyone. It was mostly me just taking money from them. Yeah, real friendly, but it's not like I did much else. Well, there was those two times I gave a bunch of money to more powerful trainers. But that was still limited communication. It was literally just, 'Aw, man. I lost. Here's your money, and I'm leaving.' As friendly as hard icicles.

Even with more developed Pokemon than mine, Akuma was very powerful for her age. Most were weaker compared to a Dragon, and especially a Deino. Even with a disadvantage, she was pretty strong. It gave me confidence, remembering that she was so near to me.

Rolling onto my back, I laid my hand onto Akuma's coarse black neck fur. While staring up at the ceiling wasn't much better than the wall, I was calmer now. I wasn't exactly crawling out of my skin worrying about what Sarah thought about me. Sighing, I closed my eyes and slipped off to sleep.

.

The next day spent mostly walking. I didn't see many trainers on the road, so it was mostly just boring trees, grass, and falling blossoms. Akuma didn't like when the tree petals fell on her face. They were mostly a bore for me, but I didn't mind. It was quite peaceful, really.

PokeDexes were great tools. They were the very symbol of being a trainer, holding all their personal information. They even had access to the internet. Using an internet-based map in a forest however, was not that effective. Trees did, after all, block electrical signals.

As such, my predictions were wrong. By the time it was dark, the forest was still around me. While I had reached paved roads again, it was still a while from Eterna. The trees were getting small, sure. But I'd hoped this would've been the end of it already. Which meant I could possibly be there by Spring. Thinking of it, I made a small smirk. It was still Winter, but with the blossoms falling, it already looked like Spring.

Akuma stuck close to me, now that we were getting near the exit. More open space made it hard for her to follow echos and sounds. I don't think she felt she was in any danger, but she just felt more comfortable following my path. It's understandable, since I could see and she couldn't. No way I'd lead her into a pitfall or something.

Following the road, we spent several hours until the last of the trees fell behind us. There was still the occasional sapling, but it was definitely the end of the forest. Once I was out of the tree line, I checked my PokeDex map and saw I was still a ways off from Eterna. Probably a day or two. It also told me it was that today was the eighteenth.

Walking was better with the change of scenery, though. The grassy fields and bright sunshine was nicer than a dank and dreary forest. Akuma didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but she didn't complain about it. Of course, she didn't complain about much. She didn't know anything other than blindness and me as her guide.

Stretching, I continued down the path until dark. Once the sun set, I ventured off of the paved path and searched for anything to eat. Even if I was out of the forest, there were still some Pokemon to be found. Unfortunately, nothing really popped out at us. Even berries weren't edible, being the beginning of Spring. Flowers weren't berries.

That didn't mean Akuma cared. She ate the flowers out of curiosity and hunger. I picked one of the flowers she was eating and took a bite, before I immediately spat it out. Looking to Akuma, I almost laughed when I saw her eating another flower. I wasn't sure if she even cared about the bitter taste. She just went ahead and ate more.

I stopped at a place with shorter grass and two trees overhead. Akuma had eaten a dozen flowers, though she didn't seem to like them anymore. She just destroyed them now, rather than eating them. While it was funny, I couldn't ignore the feeling in my gut. Turning to her, I asked her to find any sort of meal nearby.

Understanding, Akuma sat down and started sniffing. Her superior senses could find most anything, whether it be air, ground, or sea. It didn't take her long to find something and she raced of towards it. Following, I saw her stumbling over the uneven ground. When she spotted, she started digging into the ground with her claws.

Akuma was proud when she pulled a pair of Pachirisu out of the hole. I felt my tongue tingle in anticipation. Even though I carried a Pachirisu with me, it had become one off my favorite things to eat. I complimented her and took one of them. She simply tore into the other and had a proper meal.

Once we were back at the clearing, I was a bit uncomfortable. After being in the forest for so long, I didn't feel safe unless under some sort of cover. The two trees above only blocked from above, not from the side. If anyone was walking along the road, they'd see me from the fire. Too obvious for comfort.

Still, I had to cook the meal. It'd be stupid to eat like Akuma, and I knew that. It'd be stupid not to. Groaning at the discomfort, I pinched my bridge again. I sighed and gave up. I already had the dead Pachirisu and it wouldn't help letting it go to waste. I stood up and started grabbing some branches and sticks for a fire.

Being out in a field made it harder to find branches around in the grass, but the two trees did have a few to offer. Breaking some also helped, though they didn't have many stiff ones. I brought my finds to a pile and used my flint and steel for once to light some grass. It took several sparks, but I eventually got it going.

The Pachirisu was easy to skin and I stored the pelt in my bag. I letted the blood and gutted it before impaling it on a spit. It was a bit sad, imagining my Fuzz Ball being impaled, but I knew that wouldn't come for a long, long time. Hopefully never. As I set the spit to cook, my thoughts drifted to combat.

When I reached Eterna, I'd be registering for the gym battle. That meant I'd be facing grass types. While Akuma had her incendiary breath, Thorn only had his poison from his spines. I realized he only knew his primary grass types. Even though he was close to evolving, the best attack he had was Razor Leaf.

I could use Fuzz Ball, even though he did need a bit of training. He wouldn't run anymore, but he would much rather attack me than an opponent. Of course, I'd never actually tested him with an opponent. It wasn't that I meant to use him in battle, but he could fight. Shaking my head, I knew that wouldn't work. I had already promised I wouldn't use him, so I wouldn't.

Nothing came to mind to help me in the fight against the Grass Gym Leader of Eterna. All I had to count on was Akuma. She was my strongest Pokemon, as well as the one with a type advantage. As such, she'd be the one carrying us, me, to victory. I just hoped she could handle it. After all, it was just plants.

The smell of burning meat caught my attention and I lifted the Pachirisu out of the fire. I blew on it to try and save it from charring, but the skin was already black. Sighing, I flipped it and made sure to pay closer attention. Once it was properly cooked, I took it off the flame and rested it against my leg.

My knife was useful to help salvage the burnt side. I scrapped several bits off of it, but most of it was inedible. At least, I didn't want to eat it. Sighing again, I mentally slapped myself for forgetting my meal and letting it burn. Instead of whining about it, I just turned it over and dug in.

It wasn't as skillfully prepared as before, but the same electric taste excited me. A bit dry, but it was still good. After I cleaned up the cooking stuff, which mainly visited of throwing it in the fire, I laid in the grass and thought about the gym. While I was worried, it was laughable compared to my worried about what Sarah thought. Man, my priorities are screwed way up.

Akuma didn't bother me while I was eating, but once I was finished, she wouldn't leave me alone until she got what was left. I didn't mind, my head was somewhere else entirely. Scenes of what could happen during the gym match played in my mind. Some went well, ending with the badge in my possession. Other's ended with a dissected Deino and Budew on the ground. I just couldn't shake the feeling I wasn't prepared.

I didn't know what to really do, now that I was so close to Eterna. There was only so much time I could put into training until I had to battle the leader, and I didn't have much more time. I had to meet Sarah and beat it soon. She'd waited long enough after my earlier procrastination.

Since it was getting late, I set up the tent and crawled inside. Akuma followed behind and I zipped the flap closed. While I was still thinking, I didn't want to. Too many worries kept coming to the surface. I pulled out my PokeDex and looked at it, holding it above me. What was I going to do if I lost? Would I just... lose? Or would it be worse?

Sighing, I dropped it onto my stomach. What good was it going to be, worrying? Why was I even caring about this stuff now? I was confident three days ago, so what changed? The only person that probably could help me was Sarah. Maybe my parents, but I hardly wanted to ask them for assistance. Opening up my PokeDex, I decided to send her a message.

 _Sarah,_

 _I'm probably going to get to Eterna by tomorrow or the day after. I'm going to challenge the gym, but I don't know if I'm going to be able beat it. What should I do? I'm not sure I have enough time to train, so I need your help._

 _Thanks, Kael Lorano_

It was difficult to write the message, and I never really liked asking someone for help. On top of the fact that she rarely talked to me anymore, I didn't know if she would tell me any useful information. Still, it was a good idea to give her a heads up. I didn't know what she'd been doing for the past two weeks, but at least she knew I was almost there.

Rolling over, I wrapped myself in my blanket and laid my hand against Akuma's back. She didn't do anything, and I realized she was already asleep. Smiling, I decided it was best to do the same. I closed my eyes and relaxed.

.

All day, my PokeDex told me I was close to the city. While it said that, the only thing that told me I was close was the increasing amount of farms around. Several plots had been recently tilled and some had trees growing. A few ranches held Pokemon like the common Sunkern and Budew. I thought about visiting to ask about Thorn's progress, but I decided to keep going.

Out in the fields, it was harder to find Pokemon in the open. Several of them feared trainers, but Akuma was the real source of fear around me. The only Pokemon that challenged us were trainers' Pokemon. Even when we beat them, they didn't offer much in terms of a meal. Akuma took over as the tracker, even though she usually did that anyways.

As we did get closer to Eterna, the battles became harder and harder. Some of the trainers I met were also training for the upcoming gym match. They were tougher than the newbies is faced in the forest, but Akuma won most of the time. Unfortunately, I lost for times in one day. An all time low.

And Sarah didn't send me any sort of message after an entire day.

It wasn't until the next day that I reached Eterna city. I spent another night in the wilderness, even if a barn was about two hundred meters away. I was anxious to get to a comfy Pokemon center bed, a meal I didn't cook, and Sarah. I wanted to talk to her so bad. In truth, I was a Magikarp out of water without someone else helping me. And Akuma just wasn't responsive as another human.

In the morning, I talked to Akuma while I packed up camp and used grass to scrub the pot before setting off. I was anxious, and when I was nervous, I tended to talk. It made me a little embarrassed when a farmer would look at me while I talked to Akuma, before he hid behind his crops at the sight of a Dragon. The fact that someone, or multiple someones, were scared of Akuma, that was new.

Still, it's not that I minded. They were farmers, like my parents. It's obvious they weren't Pokemon trainers or even that well informed about Pokemon. That, or they were just cowards. I wouldn't judge them, but they were my main source of discomfort.

The road became better in the maintenance department, which surprised me a bit. Floaroma and Jubilife hadn't put this much effort into their roads, and Oreburgh didn't have room to do so. Seeing streets like these, ones that were a half a dozen kilometers away from Eterna, it was just strange. The only other reason there would be roads would be for the farms and ranches out here.

But finally, I turned around the corner and I saw the edge of the city. While it was still a ways away, it was surprising the I'd missed the tall buildings. The mountain was closing in, creating a valley, but hiding the tops of the buildings was unexpected. I was almost surprised when I saw how tall they were. Before I reached the city boundaries, I withdrew Akuma, just in case.

Ten minutes was all I needed to rush to the front of Eterna City. Several houses stood with unlit lamps hanging off the sides. They looked similar to Lampent I'd seen in pictures, but several pictures also showed Lampent as totally different lamps. The shape made my spine tingle, but since they were all parallel, I knew I could breathe easy.

It was an honest maze. Even with the maps, the streets went in several diagonal directions. It made it really difficult to show the direct route. Or even the proper route.

When I did reach the Pokemon Center, I was almost fed up with the ridiculous road design. Whoever made it was an absolute loser at his job. Even if the city was made a long time ago, it still annoyed me. I walked through the sliding door and was immediately greeted by Sarah.

"You're late!" She jumped off one of the chairs and landed in front of me, scaring me onto my ass. Her hair was shorter than before the holiday, but looked pretty cute. Her blue eyes stared at me with a glare, before she smiled and laughed at me on the ground.

"You didn't need to scare me. I know I'm late, and I'm sorry." I imagined my cheeks were blazing red while I looked around the lobby. The trainers waiting around were looking at the two of us, probably laughing. Even though I was embarrassed, I was still happy to see Sarah again.

"C'mon, it was funny. Besides, you were late and deserved a reward. Namely, getting scared silly. Now c'mon and turn in your Pokemon so we can get going already." Sighing, I stood up off the floor and brushed off before heading towards the counter. When I pulled out four Pokeballs, Sarah seemed surprised. "Been busy catching in the Forest?"

"Well, how many have you caught over the holidays?" I turned back to the Nurse Joy and asked her to take care of my Pokemon. I was sort of expecting her to try and do something, but she simply accepted the Pokemon and put them in a tray. After she checked my PokeDex, she started typing on the computer and working.

"I've only caught a Sandile since December. I mean, it was caught for me, so now I have three Pokemon." She turned away and leaned against the counter. I guessed she was annoyed with me, but I couldn't tell.

"Sir? We can return your Deino, Budew, and Pachirisu after a few minutes, but we're going to have to keep your Zorua for a full three hours. And you should remember to feed your Pokemon regularly. Even while inside a Pokeball, they still experience hunger."

"Right. I'm sorry about that. I caught it while in the Forest and didn't want to let it out in case it was injured. That was about... a week ago?" The nurse nodded and took my Pokemon away. "And what are you laughing at," I asked, turning to Sarah.

"You caught a Pachirisu? You've got to be kidding! Oh- Oh, my Arceus, that's good!"

"Stop laughing! I only caught it to be a travelling partner! I'm not planning on using it in a fight." Sarah still laughed at me and my choice of a partner. The Nurse returned and sat at the desk before asking what else we needed.

"Uh, you said my Pokemon could be returned, but why not my Zorua? Just wondering."

"The healing machines can heal cuts in a matter of seconds. The injuries underneath are a different question. Broken bones take hours, and exhaustion and a number of other ailments just add on to how long a Pokemon has to spend in the machine. It sometimes also has to depend on how many people are using the machines. Each one only accepts one trainer's Pokemon, so it can cause a bit of crowding."

Nodding through the useless information, I thanked the nurse. Sarah followed me, and I couldn't help looking at her over my shoulder. I wasn't sure what to say to her, but I was still happy to see her.

"So, when do you plan to buy me dinner? Since you were late, you get the bill."

"Wait, what?" I almost tripped as we walked out of the sliding glass doors. "When was that decided? Besides, I just got here! Where would I find diner, other than a Miltank burger?"

"C'mon. I've been around here for over two weeks, so I think I know where to find something. And we've got all day to walk around and stuff, so I suggest you keep your eyes open. Am I right?" Groaning, I agreed with her request. I could go along with the punishment of my tardiness. Besides, it was just dinner. It didn't have to be anything special, right?

"So, how've you been? I know you said you don't celebrate Arceus day like every other person, but did you... You know."

"Yeah, it was alright. I spent a lot of time training though, so I hope you're ready for later." Wait, what?

"You're serious about fighting? Well, that reminds me. I'd asked about some help the day before yesterday, but you never responded. So, I was wondering if you could answer my question?" Sarah stopped and smirked at me when I turned back for her.

"You haven't been training enough, have you? Well, I guess you'll just have to see how strong you have to be once you face me." Proudly, she pulled out her PokeDex and showed me a second and green badge on the key chain. So, I really was late to the party. I was already falling behind Sarah, and I didn't want that kid with the Honedge to catch up to me.

"Fine," I groaned, following Sarah down the sidewalk. I'd wanted to beat the gym leader together, but I guess that was already out of the question. "But I have been training. My wallet can tell you that."

"Well, then I guess we know who's buying dinner. Guess who?" I nearly facepalmed at my own statement. Looking around, anywhere but Sarah's smug face, I tried to focus on the buildings. I wanted to get familiar with the mess of a city.

We made our way to the gym, which at first glance, looked like a glass palace. Sarah didn't look as impressed as I did, but since she'd seen it several times before, it wasn't that unexpected. Still, I was left with my mouth hanging open at the design. It was one thing, seeing the Oreburgh Gym built like a crude rocky building. But this was just extravagant as royalty! How did the league afford things like this?

"Stop gawking at it and hurry up! The gym isn't going anywhere, and we've got things to do. I'd much rather get this out of the way so I can go shopping! Among other things, I need some stuff." She tugged my arm through a few groups of people.

"Couldn't you have done that before I got here? I'm just saying, you've been here for two weeks."

"I haven't been here in the city the entire two weeks, you know. I beat the gym last week, and have been in the fields around town until you messaged me."

"And you didn't respond."

"Forget it. Just go and get registered. I'll meet you back at the Pokemon Center in an hour." Sarah dropped my arm and started walking away, almost exasperated.

"Sarah, wait!" My call didn't stop her. She didn't even look back and slipped into the crowd without saying a thing. Sighing, I mumbled a few colorful words under my breath. What was wrong with her? What was wrong with me? Shaking my head, I walked into the gym.

Inside, several plants grew along the walls. The vines and stems used the steel of the walls to create a lattice of greenery. It was very nice and soothing, until the crowds ruined the mood. If outside was bad, inside was two times worse. The fact that there was a queue for the registration desk was unfamiliar, as well as the sounds of battles going on inside. I'd been in the Gym while battles were taking place, but when the place was roaring from the crowds, it was something else.

It was safe to assume the place wouldn't fall or break since most battles didn't get that crazy, but there was a lot more people interested in watching the battles this time of year. On top of that, the trainers were better than fresh meat. They could hold their own against a Gym leader and put up a good fight.

Focusing, I walked up to the line and waited for my turn to put my name forward. I wasn't patient in lines, but it helped that there was a monitor showing the battle from LeagueLive. It also gave me a chance to see what kind of Pokemon the Leader here would use. Knowing that they were mostly grass wasn't enough to be confident. I still had my doubts, but Sarah had helped lift a few. She'd beaten it, after all.

It took an entire battle to make it to the front of the line. Once I was there, I calmly asked for a battle with the leader. The lady behind the counter asked for proof of a badge and PokeDex. I was then asked, out of the four Pokemon I owned, which would I be using. Selecting both Thorn and Akuma, I knew I'd be using them. But my finger hovered over the image of my Zorua.

Would it be wise to include it? I'd had little time with it, and none of it was exactly training. Of course, I also had Fuzz Ball, but it was a stubborn piece of work. Not to mention, couldn't put up a fight. It wasn't going to participate. Breathing slowly, I decided to include the Zorua. Even if I didn't use it.

Then I payed up the three grand required to register. It was a real pain to fish out so much cash for one thing. Of course, compared to a house, it was nothing. The woman thanked me and allowed me to proceed with my business. She handed my a slip of paper with the date of the twenty third. I solemnly put my thinner wallet back in my pocket and went to a bench to watch the rest of the battle.

Of course, since a lot of people had the same idea, the best spot I could settle for was on the ground. Every bench, chair, and potted plant was taken. I made do with the hard stone with my bag and focused on the screen.

A Carnivine was facing off against the challenger's Vulpix. It's fur was already a bright copper color, but it only had four tails. It wasn't that old. Considering it was in a gym battle, it had to be strong, though. The Carnivine didn't look too bad, but it did have one of it's green mouth spines broken.

The tailed Pokemon ran at the plant and covered itself with fire for a Flame Charge. It looked effective and knocked the Carnivine to the ground. I assumed it was unable to battle since the Gym Leader called back her Pokemon. The crowds roared and I felt it through the ground.

"Man, Chelsea is getting it handed to her. Just who is that trainer she's facing?" Almost in an answer to the question, the camera panned over to him while he returned his Vulpix. I instantly remembered that shaggy blond hair and messy clothes. It was Miles. I was surprised to see him battling at the same time I was here.

The crowds were not entirely sure how to take the field being empty, as the battle hadn't ended yet. When Gym leader Chelsea sent out a Grovyle, Miles sent out a Pidgeotto. The two began a flurry of attacks, but the Pidgeotto easily avoided the Grovyle by going higher. From there, it sent down strong gusts that knocked the Grovyle to the ground.

It took several more attacks to knock the Grovyle out of the battle. By then, it's leafy tail and been torn off. I didn't know how serious the damage was, but it didn't look good. It was quickly returned and the final Pokemon was sent out, indicated by the small Pokeballs shown at the bottom of the screen. The third Pokeball opened and Miles was left with all three in his counter.

Miles kept his Pidgeotto on the field, or rather, in the air, while Chelsea pulled out her final Pokeball. She send out a strange Pokemon, on I didn't expect at all. A small steel egg, with green thorns protruding from it, sat in the dirt. It was a strange stand off for a few minutes before the Pidgeotto attacked bit the gust of wind.

The steel shell easily repelled any breeze thrown at it. It's dense shell and shape kept it in place. In retaliation, the small Ferroseed began to arc electricity. A quick blast of electricity and the bird fell out of the sky, knocked unconscious. This must be the Gym's counter to flying Pokemon.

When the Vulpix was sent out again, I knew the battle would end quickly. A few fire attacks ended the match and Miles was given the victory. He shook hands with the gym leader and he walked away. The crowds cheered before the next challenger was called and Chelsea's Pokemon refreshed.

After the crowd calmed down, I stood up and picked up my bag. I was starting to leave when I saw Miles coming to the rewards desk. I wanted to raise my hand to signal him, but he was instantly swarmed by people the second he stepped into the lobby. Interrupting a crowd is not in my best interests. Being shy isn't always my style, but I was still hesitant to do anything.

"Hey! Kael, right!?" Looking back, I saw Miles waving over to me. How was he able to recognize me after so long? And from this distance? I sheepishly waved back. Miles pushed through the hoards of questioning people. Once they saw me though, most backed off and let him pass.

"Miles, right," I asked, feigning ignorance. "Good to see you again. And good job earning your second badge." His blonde hair was unruly and shaggier than ever, and looked like he hadn't even combed it since the day I saw him. While I still had a thing against his way of dressing.

"That's right," he answered with a salute. "Nice seeing you too. Did you think you'd just sneak off without saying hello to someone who helped you? And that reminds me... Where's your second badge?"

"Eh. I haven't battled her yet." A small laugh was all I could give for my excuse. "But I did just issue my challenge. I should be facing her in three days. No big deal."

"Ah, I see. Well I guess I just have to come and watch. Seriously, I gotta take a look at that Deino of yours. And I want to see that Budew again as well."

"You can see them when I get them back in a few hours. You don't have to wait until the battle."

"Wait, what? Why do you need to wait for hours to get your Pokemon back? I may have misjudged you if you treat your Pokemon that badly."

"No, that's not it. One of the Pokemon I caught in the forest was badly injured. It's just easier to collect all of them at once."

"Well, Arceus, you don't have to kill them to catch them, you know?" Miles laughed and I had to join in. As soon as he did, a dozen people pushed me away. They were eager to talk to Miles after his impressive win. Taking it as my que to leave, I slipped out the front door and breathed easy.

Checking the time, I noticed I still had time to waste before I was supposed to meet up with Sarah. Making the best of the situation, I walked down the street and stepped into a small cafe. I didn't really know what I was doing, but I felt like getting something to eat.

Sitting at one of the tables, I picked up the small block menu and looked through what they had. Unfortunately, everything was either coffee and veggie-based dishes. Of the four available, only the Oddish cake sounded good. When a man in a suit came to take my order.

When they brought out a thin green slice of cake with a leaf sticking out of it. I also had a cup of coffee given out to me, which was decorated with a cream leaf. It was unbelievably fancy for my taste. Still, I payed up and enjoyed the experience. Most of the customers were trainers like me, but some were older than me.

The coffee wasn't bad, but I didn't enjoy the amount cream dumped in, but the cake was surprisingly sweet. The fact that the green and healthy cover hid a sugary layer of filling. It was pretty nice, even if it wasn't my style. Even though I didn't know the name of the place, I knew I could come back later.

I didn't spend long eating my food, though I wasn't in a hurry. The sugar felt like a buzz after going without for so long, but I held myself back from buying another. Once I was finished, I walked out and checked the name. The Elegant Petilil was going to be my number one reason to return to Eterna.

.

Spending a lot of time just exploring the city was boring, but it was nice seeing all the monuments around town. The park of statues of legendary Pokemon stood in a circle around an old oak tree. It was cool to look at, as well as finding a museum if Sarah wanted to visit one.

Still, the time I had to wander around was short. I didn't have much time to just walk for hours. Since I was already in the more tourist-oriented part of town, I could only really visit the center of town. There were several places I wanted to visit, to learn more about my own Pokemon, but I'd made a deal.

What made me jealous of others was the amount of trainers walking with their Pokemon. I had Fuzz Ball, but it wasn't exactly tamed. Most likely outcome would be everyone getting an electric shock. It wouldn't end well, since most would take that as a challenge. On top of that, it was illegal to battle in the streets. Being arrested was not on my list of todos.

Since I didn't have my own Pokemon with me, I probably looked like any other tourist. Take away my Pokemon and that's exactly what I was. It was a nightmare come true, if that ever happened. That would probably be what would have happened if I hadn't found Akuma and gotten my Mom's permission to catch it.

The sliding doors opened when I got near and I stepped inside the Pokemon Center, half expecting Sarah to jump me like before. When she didn't I looked around and couldn't find her. Sighing, I dropped my bag near one of the arm chairs and dropped onto the seat.

I still had to wait another hour before I could get my Pokemon back, so I couldn't train. I had a Seedot in my bag, but I was planning on selling that. In short, it was boring. It was a boring five minutes before Sarah walked through the doors and waved over to me.

"Hey, listen," Sarah said, sitting next to me. "I... have to apologize about earlier. I was mean to you and you're probably frustrated and tired after the forest. So, if you want, you can do whatever you want today. Go where you want."

"Well, it's not like I'm the one who knows the place. This is my first time in Eterna, after all. I'll just let you lead the way." I tried to laugh it off, but Sarah just looked relieved.

"By the way, when is your gym battle? You know I'm going to go watch it." Sarah pulled out her PokeDex to mark the date. I told her the battle was in three days, and she set an event for the day. "Oh, but I can't stay for three days. Since I don't have a battle, I can't stay at the Pokemon Center for more than two days, unless I pay up."

"I don't mind being in the wild a little longer. Tomorrow sounds fine, but it would be nice if we could be back by the twenty second. And I should probably tell my parents about my battle, but I'm a bit nervous to."

"Wow, the Dragon Boy is scared to talk to his mommy? Arceus, that's lame. Just man up and talk to them. You pansy."

"It's not that I'm really scared, it's just that I didn't leave on the best of days. My dad actually thought I was going to stay and even asked me to help with the fields."

"Farmer boy doesn't want to do his chores?"

"Stop mocking me! I'm just a little cautious, okay? What if they're mad at me?"

"You know, I don't remember you being this scared. You didn't worry when you faced the Oreburgh gym, did you? So why are you worrying about Chelsea?" She was right about that. When did I get so scared? Why was I so worried? If I had Akuma, I would have no problems.

But parents were a different story. They weren't something you could just beat with Pokemon and ignore them. They were parents, after all.

"Fine, you're right," I said, accepting her sage advice and observation. Opening my PokeDex, I wrote a simple and short message to them, including the date of my battle. I didn't add a single detail about the forest, or anything for that matter. I took a deep breath before pressing the send button and leaning back.

"Now, was that too hard? Now, stop being a baby and let's go!" Sarah pulled me out of my chair and dragged me out of the Pokemon center. She pulled me down the street and lead me around town.

We visited the circle of legendary Pokemon statues. While I'd already seen it, Sarah claimed it was her favorite place in the city. I knew she wasn't religious, but she obviously loved Pokemon. I went along with the her and admired the stone carvings. They were nice, but the people around the park worshiping or praying made it a little awkward.

After we left the park, Sarah led me down the streets and showed me to several shops and venues. While I didn't feel like buying anything, we did visit the PokeMart, and I did need some supplies. I bought a potion, as well as half a dozen Pokeballs. I did consider buying a better ball, but the price for them was still more than I was willing to spit up.

Sarah didn't buy anything, having spent the last hour doing exactly that. We left the shopping districts behind and traveled back near the tourist area, which contained more cafes and bars. Sure, the museums and monuments were nice, but seeing the Elegant Petilil again was more inviting than dusty displays.

What, I'm a sucker for cake?

We didn't actually see the cafe, but seeing all the other similar restaurant made me crave more sweet food. It was mostly us just chatting while we walked around, but I couldn't help glancing around at the candy shops. Eventually, we made our way to fancier restaurant to eat at, though it was only around five.

Still, Sarah insisted we eat now. Apparently, my face said I was hungry. I guess that meant I was caught. Walking inside, I immediately saw that we looked particularly out of place.

One, everyone was wearing formal wear and I was dragging in travel-worn casual clothes. Two, most of the people were older than us at almost seventeen. Try twenty as the low. Three, I was out of my element with waiting for a table. I'd never really eaten out in my life until I became a trainer, and that was just Miltank burgers, which was also new to me. Floaroma was just a boring place, wasn't it?

At least there was one plus side. We weren't early. People were still eating and few were just leaving. While they did laugh at me, along with me going red in the face, I was saved from being the only one in the house. Being alone in a fancy restaurant with Sarah? Yeah, then I'd ask to be impaled by a charging Tauros.

Being the complete idiot, I missed the sign ordering us to wait, and nearly got yelled at by the staff. Sarah caught me by the collar before I made a fool of myself, though. Once I saw the sign, I knew I'd already gotten near the edge of moron. Waiting at the lobby, I couldn't help but try to hide near a plant. I was already embarrassed.

"How are you two doing tonight," the waitress asked us, gesturing us to our table. "Can I get you anything to start off with?" Both Sarah and I took our seats before taking up our menus. At first, most of the food looked great and appetizing. Until I saw the price tag, that is.

Paying almost 500 Poke Dollars per dish was unbelievable! On top of that, I'd agreed to pay for Sarah's meal as well! Arceus damn it all! My wallet was not going to be happy after this. Glaring at Sarah, I knew she must have planned this. Why did I agree to something like this?

"I'll have... How do you say this one? This one?" Sarah showed her menu to the waitress, who simply nodded and turned to me. Looking at the options, I scanned for one of the more cheaper deal in the main section.

"How about this Cordon Bleu or however you say it? I'll take that." I wasn't exactly sure, but it was somehow Pidgey wrapped around cheese. How they did that, I had no idea. Why wouldn't it just lay open?

"Alright. Any drinks? But if you order wine or alcohol, I'm going to need some proof of age."

"Just water for me," I interjected. I wasn't really prepared to pay for juice or soda, so hopefully Sarah wouldn't order anything of the sort.

"I'll take some Pecha juice."

"Very well. I'll be back in a few minutes with your order. I'll leave you to enjoy your time together." Looking between the waitress, as she walked away, and Sarah, who was looking at the menu again. If only my face wasn't burning from this entire situation. Why did I agree to this?

"So? What now? We just... talk?" Sarah looked as nervous as me, a light pink on her cheeks.

"How was your trip through the Eterna Forest? You never told me... Well, really anything."

"It wasn't really that interesting, to be honest. But, you haven't told me anything either. Why don't you start off?" Thinking back, I remembered the kid, Angus, and his Honedge. That would be a good place to start.

While I started explaining my fight with Angus, the waitress brought our drinks. For me, clear water with a lemon. Sarah's was a pink drink with a slice of Pecha floating on top. I thanked her before returning to the story. Sarah nodded through the tale, until our meals were brought to us.

When I had a small dish served to me, with a folded piece of Pidgey meat on it. Sarah's dish, consisting of a salad with several bits of meat scattered through it. It didn't look particularly tasty, considering how much green was in it. I instead stopped my story to enjoy the meal.

Sarah didn't say much while she was eating, but she did start her story between bites. She started off with when she was traveling by Floaroma. She only passed through on her way to Eterna Forest. She claimed to have followed the path loyally, but seeing as I had problems even seeing the dirt path, I doubted she had 100 percent accuracy.

Still, I listened while I enjoyed the gooey cheese and tender Pidgey. We'd both finished our meals by the time Sarah reached the Haunted Eterna Chateau. She continued her story without the distraction of food, though she didn't go into extreme details. When she got to her gym battle, she hardly said a thing, other than she won. After that, she simply said she spent the time in the base of the mountains.

"-and then you texted me and I came back into Eterna City."

"Which is where we are now." I took a sip of my water and leaned back in my chair. "That's about the same as my story, really. But, yes, I did catch a Pachirisu." Sarah immediately snickered when I mentioned what I'd captured. "Wait, that's not everything. I don't plan on using it for battle or anything. That's what I caught the Zorua for."

"You caught a Zorua? Those are pretty rare in Sinnoh, so you're pretty lucky. I wish I'd bought one, or at least found one to catch." I felt my heart jump at the sound that I'd got something rare. On top of that, Sarah was impressed. Bonus points!

"It honestly found me. A real pain in the ass, if you ask me. Those illusions are crazy."

"What'd they look like?"

"Imagine a kaleidoscope or a... A picture, but with inverted colors. It was something like that. Seeing that stuff gave me a headache. Among other things." The mental image of me, in the fetal position, and the swirling colors that had made me puke. Just thinking about it made me nauseous.

"Oh, that isn't very impressive, I guess... I was expecting it to be something like projecting a house or some sort of trap for us Trainers. They are notorious for that, you know."

"Well, it did morph into a Bunneary before Akuma attacked it. Though it wasn't a perfect copy, I'd say it was pretty good."

"But it wasn't exact, was it? It would have been better if it had been able to completely cloak itself in an illusion..." Bonus points lost. Still, it is a rare Pokemon, like she said. It was something I was going to keep for a long time. If I ever tamed it, that it.

"What about your Pokemon? Did you catch anything during the break?" I questioned her while sipping my water.

"Well, I still have Yami and Perry, but I did catch a Shroomish in the forest. After Perry thought it was a berry, he dragged it back to the camp and I caught it when it started attacking. To be honest, I thought it would have attacked Perry before he made it back to me."

Comparing stats and accomplishments, our journeys with one of the two having already beaten the second gym. Still, we joked around and discussed the goings-ons of Sinnoh. Other than a few minor crimes and petty thefts in Sunyshore and Canalave city, the really big news was the storms above Mt. Coronet showing the fights between two dragons. More accurately, the Haxorus and Hydreigon on the peak.

After a few minutes, the waitress brought our bill to the table and my gut dropped when I saw the number. It was almost 1,500 Poke dollars, and I had to pay in full! No wonder this place was full of fancy clothing and food. Sighing, I pulled out a thick wad of cash and placed it on the tray the receipt was on.

It was painful to say goodbye to all my hard work over the past month after only thirty minutes. Still, we'd already eaten. While I wasn't happy about it, I was obligated to pay up. Then, once the bill was out of the way, Sarah and I exited into the lamp lit streets. I pulled my hood up to cover my neck, feeling the cold air touching my skin.

It was already getting dark, even though tomorrow was the equinox. Putting my hand in my pocket, I still had one Pokemon on me that I needed to take care of. Remembering back before Oreburgh, Sarah had stated she didn't want to visit another again. Better to ask, though.

"Hey, Sarah? I need to go to the Pokemon Guild for something. Are you coming, or are you going to head to the Pokemon center?" Considering the options, Sarah shrugged and I lead the way through the city. Lucky me I had a PokeDex with a map.

After wandering through the mess that is Eterna, we finally made it to the Guild. It was larger than other ones, but functioned the same. The worst part was dealing with the man behind the counter, though. I wasn't the only one trying to talk and get a deal. Everyone was trying to push ahead, to take their turn to go first. Pushing ahead of them was the only way for me to get my money.

Seedot aren't rare. They're a bit harder to find that, say, a Caterpie, but were still everywhere. The Pachirisu had an easy enough time finding them. As such, once I was able to trade with the man, all I got was a lousy 300 Poke bucks. Sarah was annoyed by all the crowds as they pushed to hand over Pokeballs for money. In my eyes, it was chaos incarnate.

It might have been an exaggeration to it was chaotic, but it was true people were pushing, shoving, and arguing. While there was, at most, half a dozen people. It was just a struggle to push people aside so I could do my business. If there was a line or a system to ration the amount of customers, maybe it would have been better.

Well, at least it fits the style, I guess.

When I left the Guild, Sarah gladly following, the sun had already rendered the streets dark. Checking the time, it was no wonder that it was almost half past six already. Suggesting a walk back to the Pokemon center was somewhat casual, but I was honestly exhausted from the events of today.

"Hey, wanna buy some ice cream," Sarah asked as we walked by a shop. "C'mon, it's only 100 per scoop." She poked my elbow until I agreed, which I couldn't resist. Sighing, I accepted before stepping up to shop front. The glass display case had a dozen flavors.

"It's a bit early, but why not? I'll buy some. But you can buy your own, right? I don't have _that_ much money."

"And who was it earlier who was bragging about their deep pockets? C'mon, Dragon Boy. Just one scoop?" She was using me, wasn't she? She had to be, to be begging me to buy ice cream. I couldn't help rubbing my temples.

"Fine, but only one scoop. Go ahead and order." I stepped aside for her, and let her take her flavor. The shop owner looked at Sarah expectantly, waiting for her to choose a flavor. She took a few moments to see the flavors before ordering an orange colored one. When she had her ice cream in a cone, I chose chocolate. Lame and generic, but it still tasted awesome.

After paying all the money I'd just earned, both Sarah and I walked away eating our frozen desserts. I don't know exactly why she'd want something cold when it was cold enough outside, but something as sweet as ice cream... Who could resist that?

It took only a few bites of ice cream to give me a brain freeze. While Sarah was busy licking away at her cone, I was holding my head and suffering. Passers looked at us weird since it was still Winter and we were eating ice cream. That, or they were jealous. Sarah laughed at me as well, with a bit dripping from my chin. I laughed as well, though I was still embarrassed.

And something about it felt... boring.

I was expecting to be challenged, attacked, or something. Being aware of it didn't make the problem any better, but my first assumtion was paranoia. It could have also been my battle lust, or maybe a dependence on Akuma? It was almost like I wanted something to happen, to disturb my time with Sarah. The feelings in my chest, which I knew I couldn't admit, they made me uneasy. Almost shaky. It's not like I haven't spent this kind of time with Sarah before, but with how she was acting now was strange. Besides that, I haven't really talked to anyone for several months.

By the time we got to the Pokemon Center, I was ready to get my Pokemon back. Both that they were ready for me to take and that I simply wanted them back. After showing my PokeDex, I happily pocketed Akuma's Pokeball. Thorn and Fuzz Ball, along with the unnamed Zorua, went into my left pocket. With the comfort of my Pokemon, I could finally breathe easy.

"Alright. Well, I'm beat. I think I'll just head to bed. Tomorrow, we can go to your training ground and see how we've progressed. Deal?" I held out my hand for Sarah.

"So you're challenging me now? Alright, fine. I accept." She took my hand before I could come up for an excuse. I didn't want to fight, but it didn't matter. I'd already shaken her hand. Instead, I was stuck stuttering and trying to say something. "But I won't go easy on you," She said, before going up the stairs to her room.

Taking the deal with reluctance, I stood there for a moment before heading up the stairs after her.

.

The outskirts of Eterna were an instant transition to mountains, sloping upwards pretty quickly. Sarah showed me to a small area hidden behind an outcropping, which she said she'd spent most of her time training and fighting. As soon as we stepped into the area, she released both Yami and Perry, but kept her new Shroomish in it's Pokeball. I didn't question why, but released Thorn and Akuma onto the rocks.

"I think Akuma's gotten a bit bigger. And Thorn looks pretty close to evolving. Just look at it's bud, I see a red petal." Looking at them, I hadn't noticed Akuma or Thorn being any different. Looking at Akuma, I noted she was looking a bit larger. It might have been muscle, but remembering how much she eats, it could have been fat. I'd seen Thorn's bud, but he was also growing more leaves around his body.

After a few comments about each others' Pokemon, we began an awkward shuffle while we tried to decide how to start the fight. She knew I would start off with Akuma, meaning she would start off with Yami. Perry would also be able to counter Akuma, being considered a pure or Fairy type.

Thorn was also at a disadvantage against Yami, being a grass type. Either way, I wasn't in a great position. Still, my best possible play would be to lead with Akuma and rely on her choosing Yami as her first Pokemon. She could beat him with her incendiary breath, so that Thorn could beat Perry. It was a shoddy guess at most, but this was someone who was already ahead of me.

"Let's just send out a Pokemon and act like it's for practice," I suggested. In truth, I wanted it to be practice. But this was Sarah, so I couldn't lie to her or go easy on her. This was the chance to prove I was capable of beating the gym, even if I was falling behind.

"Alright. Then I guess we just choose our first Pokemon. You already know I'm going to pick Yami, so what the hell? Yami, let's go already."

"Akuma, you're up. You already know I was going up with my starter. Let's show her what we're made of." Backing up, Sarah and I separated and faced each other from a good fifteen meters apart. While I wasn't behind the outcropping anymore, there wasn't anyone around to see our fight anyways.

Giving out a sudden yell, it was my signal to attack. I'd been working on it for a while with Akuma, trying to do it in every battle, though most trainers thought I was weird for doing it. The idea came to me when I thought about the Drowsee trainer not having to say a word.

While Sarah was busy shouting commands, Akuma had already received hers. She rushed for the lithe and clawed hunter, the fur around her neck sparking. Yami wasn't brainless as to let Akuma simply attack him. When he dodged out of the way, Akuma was already ready to release her Thunder Wave. Being in the near vicinity of her, Yami caught the static shock to the chest and froze.

After my initial shouting, I needed to relay orders by actual vocal commands again. I called the next orders for her to take advantage of Yami's paralysis, as was my battle plan. Of course, that also meant I had to rely on the electricity to be enough to completely immobilize him.

Akuma was easily able to smash into Yami without much opposition. His black and furry body couldn't react fast enough with electricity coursing through his body. He was sent flying across the field and landed hard on the rocky ground. When the dark blue dragon came back around for a second run, Yami was still struggling to stand.

However, at last second, two frosty claws raked across Akuma's side. I saw blood immediately begin dripping and she screeched from the pain. Being in such close proximity, it worked for the Sneasel rather than Akuma. Even if she was a Dragon, her strength was still undeveloped. She was younger than Yami, even if her specialty was in physical combat, rather than ranged.

Spinning on her front leg, Akuma released a jet of blue flames from her maw and covered the dark ice hunter with heat. He began screaming as well, before retaliating with a burst of dark energy. Similar to Thunder Wave, it expanded outwards in a bubble before colliding with Akuma. The force was enough to push her back, but other than that, she didn't seem harmed.

My orders were overlapping with Sarah's as we struggled to fight the other's Pokemon. Being paralyzed, Yami couldn't get up fast enough to fight back when Akuma bit down into his shoulder, which made me rub my own scar. The dark fangs couldn't do much damage by type advantage, but the fact that Akuma knew that allowed her to avoid that disadvantage. Instead, she'd sunk her physical teeth into his flesh.

It wasn't much of a fight when your enemy couldn't fight back. While Yami struggled to attack, and probably could have won, the electricity that coursed through his muscles made it impossible. After Akuma got in a few hits, Sarah called back her Pokemon, returning Yami to his Pokeball. I'd won the first match. Of course, that just meant Akuma had accomplished her mission.

Thorn was up next, facing off against Perry. I recalled Akuma to her Pokeball, since the blood dripping from her side wasn't stopping. I would heal her with a potion later, but for now it would be fine. Being second up, Perry ran out onto the rocky battlefield and faced Thorn. It made me almost laugh seeing how small they were, about to fight.

My trick with Akuma, by shouting to start the battle, was not the same with Thorn. Instead, I called out for him to use his leaves to attack from a distance. Being ranged was simple for both Pokemon. The cute Dedene released a small arc of electricity while Thorn spun to throw three leaves grown from his body.

Both attacks hit their marks, but Thorn was lucky enough to resist the electric attacks. Perry wasn't as lucky and had one of the razor leaves hit his back, while the another grazed his head. It was a good start on my part, but it didn't last long. Perry was much faster than a Budew, running circles around him.

It was obvious Sarah focused on speed and agility when she trained. Thorn couldn't keep up, but since Perry was circling him, all he had to do was stand still and aim. While using stun spore usually worked, restraining foes with painful spores, it was highly inaccurate. Hitting Perry with the small cloud would be almost impossible. Still, he did have a few moves up his sleeve. And I ordered him to use them.

Perry was soon ensnared and Thorn began draining him of energy and life by using Absorb. It wasn't a solid play, as it made direct contact with Perry, but it did give Thorn energy to hold on as he endured several electric shocks. Finally, though he was probably much weaker now, Perry broke free and began squeaking as he charged up electricity in his cheek pouches. The bolt he released connected with Thorn, before sending him backwards.

Thorn was confident and stubborn, and didn't take being pushed around easily. Getting up, he threw a Razor Leaf into the orange and brown rodent. In retaliation, Perry began charging up another bolt of electricity before Thorn could throw another Leaf. I couldn't tell if this was a new attack Sarah had developed, or if it was just a regular attack. While he needed a bit of time to charge his attack, it seemed to be getting even stronger after the third time of striking. Thorn just wasn't fast enough to dodge the straight beam of electric energy.

If Thorn could win, I could keep Akuma out of the battle and away from her weaknesses. I wouldn't hesitate to send her in if need be, but I would prefer not to. Taking risks wasn't necessary, so why take it? Calling out to Thorn, I gave him orders to attack, before he was overpowered by whatever attacks Perry was using.

As a last push effort against the small rodent, Thorn attacked with a flurry of Razor Leaves, most leaving shallow, grazing cuts, but one left a deep cut through his ear. It hung limp near his cute face. Afraid I'd cut it of completely, I returned Thorn to his Pokeball. Running over to Perry and Sarah, I pulled out the Potion I'd been keeping in my pocket.

"Is he alright," I asked, dropping down onto my knee to examine the damage. The ear that was damaged was hanging, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. Handing over the Potion, Sarah repositioned the lobe and sprayed the wound. I watched as it sealed itself and disappeared, leaving only blood and a patch of hairless skin.

"I'd say he's fine, but I was scared for a second there. It doesn't look like it's scarred, but it isn't that pretty. We should check them into the Pokemon Center just to be sure." I agreed with her, without pressing her about my win. Though she was probably more powerful than me in terms of sheer strength, I'd beaten her through a bit of strategy. Now, in the aftermath, it was the logical option to return to heal our Pokemon.

Walking down to town, it was a distant bit of chatting. The air was a bit awkward, since we'd been fighting just five minutes ago. Sighing, I simply relaxed until arriving at the Pokemon Center.

* * *

 **I honestly don't want to put this series on hiatus simply because I'm lazy. This story is my favorite, after all my others. It's been going better than the others. But I've been lazy, unmotivated, and I've been going through writer's block. The ideas just haven't been flowing. You know?**

 **Other than that, I'm gearing up for the gym battle. After getting the review that it's going slow, I tried to force it faster. Sorry if it seemed a bit wonky or anything, but I did rush this one.**

 **Again, I'm sorry that it's late and stuff, but I've been getting stuck. I've been writing two or three hundred words a day, so some of the ideas might not click, but I'm content with it for now.**

 **Remember, leaving a review and favoring my story helps me!**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239A**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

Fuzz Ball - Pachirisu

 **Pokemon in Preparation:**

Zorua - Zorua

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr;** **SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel

Sammy - Shroomish


	11. Trouble Arising

**This is the one with the Gym Battle one, right? Yeah, that's right. This will be the day we've waited for! Anyways, I'm going to get started on this chapter as soon as possible. I don't have any plans for after the battle, but let's go! Hazah!**

 **Also, Pokemark17, I know she seems a bit... bitchy, but that's because she is. Just goes to show how I am, right? Anyways, I had plans for a Tsundere girl, but I guess that didn't work in my favor. And don't worry, sometimes I want to backhand her sometimes too.**

 **murloc rampage... You're a great guy. If I'd known who you were before, I'd have said hi earlier. But, thank you for your input. I promise I'll try and cut back on the fluff and filler.**

* * *

After checking in at the Pokemon Center, we had to wait an entire half hour to get our Pokemon back. The cuts and wounds weren't major, but they still needed to be held for a while. When we did get them back, we headed right back into the hills.

We spent the rest of the day training in the alcove we'd battled in. Sarah showed me the small Shroomish she'd caught, his domed shaped head was a dark beige color. He seemed well-behaved at first, simply sitting there and looking at us. He didn't even attack Akuma or Thorn, even though we were foreign.

That is, until she tried to order him to attack. Sammy, as she'd named him, refused to do a thing. He simply did nothing, looking at Sarah with a defiant glare. He honestly didn't do a thing. After letting out Fuzz Ball, it looked at me with a look similar to Sammy. When it saw the crowd around it, it bolted behind me and hid from Yami and Perry. Though it was a step that it was me it chose to hide behind.

After getting used to the new Pokemon, I was able to calm down the Pachirisu enough to try to talk to it. Sarah separated to do the same with her new Pokemon, trying a similar method. While it wasn't the same as the one I remembered from several months ago, but since this wasn't a combat Pokemon, I wouldn't train it as such. For Sarah, I didn't know what she was planning by training it with simply words. While I didn't question it verbally, I still had my opinion.

An entire hour passed without much progress. Fuzz Ball still refused to follow my commands, even after intimidation from Akuma and Thorn. Sarah had a bit more luck, being able to order him to run around, though he stopped without going very far. Sarah scolded him and tried to get him to keep running, trying to train him.

Fuzz Ball was honestly just a rebellious prick, turning away at every time I tried to order it to show me it's power. Even after Perry agreed to help, a deal I'd made with Sarah to try and train together. While I had Perry, she'd have Thorn. For the most part, it worked, since the typing was so similar. If only the attitudes were the same.

Once Sarah asked for Perry back after two hours, I'd had it with Fuzz Ball. It was absolutely unreasonable and almost unbearable to train. In short, I hated it. Even after trying to talk to it, asking it nicely, demanding, and shouting at it, it still refused to follow even one of my orders. On top of that, I hadn't been able to train Akuma or Thorn while the Pachirisu was around. Every time I tried to send Akuma to train, Fuzz Ball would attempt to make a run for it. Luckily, I had the Pokeball to return it.

I nearly lobbed the Pokeball down the mountain, since it was a genuine pain in the ass. Swearing by Arceus, I simply shoved it deep into my bag. Taking out the second Pokemon I had to tame, I tossed the Zorua from hand to hand. Though I was slightly uncertain about it, training one would be interesting. With two dark Pokemon between the two of us, I think I could manage it.

Clicking the button was a quick decision, even if I was uncertain. The small and furry form of the Zorua appeared on the rocky ground before it saw me and Akuma next to each other. At first, it looked scared before taking a defensive stance. Sarah noticed the small black and grey Pokemon and circled around, keeping eye contact with me. It was hard to keep my eyes on both my Pokemon and Sarah.

Almost as if I'd blinked, the Zorua disappeared and a copy of Akuma appeared in it's place. I immediately focused on it, before recognizing the differences between the real and the Zorua's illusion. One was the fact that the fur wasn't exact, being fluffier and fuller than the real dragon. The second was that it's tail was short and stubby, the same as a Zorua's. The red highlight was painfully obvious.

"Akuma, let's show the Zorua what a real Deino can do." A bright blue flame splashed against the rocks near the transformed Zorua and scared it enough to jump away. The illusion held, but it wasn't smooth. The neck seemed to jerk back fast enough to break, as the proportions weren't the same.

Trying to defend itself, the Zorua attempted to warp the surroundings by changing the colors and generally give me nausea. This time, Sarah was there to see it too. She wasn't as used to the rainbows waving under our feet. While I stood, she lost her balance and I had to catch her before she hit her head.

Several jets of blue flame were able to stop the illusions and let me off with nothing more than a mild headache. Walking over to the Zorua, I saw some of it's fur had been singed, but it was alright. I then proceeded to scold it, Akuma getting the message across by growling and screeching. Her fire was enough incentive to obey. Once I showed the Zorua I was in charge here, which took a few more scoldings and commands to Akuma to really sink in, things went a lot smoother.

Which made me loath the white and blue spawn of evil in my bag. Why couldn't it be this easy with that one?

The Zorua, which I still hadn't named yet, fell in line after Akuma in terms of commands. I could command Akuma, who relayed my commands and it was forced to accept. It made me the leader of the team. Of course, that also made a link in the chain. If Akuma was away training, I couldn't train the Zorua. It wasn't battle-ready yet, not until it understood me and human language.

I spent a fair amount of time with Akuma and the Zorua. Akuma, on one hand, was not pleased being the tutor of my Pokemon again. She was bored and restless, wanting to fight or train on her own. The Zorua had started following Akuma like it's trainer, unlike me. I suspected it was due to the similar typing, both being classified dark types. It was cute, but I had to return them for the next part of training.

Sarah and I ate lunch from a small and unlikely shop at the edge of Eterna. It was a bit strange, but the entire town was a maze and disorganized anyways. Was a small bakery that strange anymore?

Eating croissants, Sarah and I enjoyed the Kalosian culture that had spread across the oceans. It also reminded me of the possessed sword Pokemon that the kid Angus had carried. I just couldn't shake his challenge. He'd said he was the one to beat the gym before me. I almost laughed at how pathetic his Pokemon had been compared to mine, but his face had been serious.

"Hey, Dragon Boy. You still in there, Kael?" Sarah waved her hand in front of my face.

"Huh? Sorry, was just thinking about stuff."

"Well, obviously. You weren't even eating your food. But, as I was saying, you did pretty well against me. I didn't expect Akuma to have already Thunder Wave. Though, without it, I'm pretty sure you would have lost. Anyways, since you beat me, what do you want as a reward?"

"Actually, I don't really know. And you're probably right about beating me. I've been working on the move a lot this Winter, until she could paralyze me. I think I spent a lot of time laying in the snow, come to think of it." I earned a laugh from Sarah.

"So, what was with that battle cry thing at the beginning? To be honest, it was a little weird. Or is this some new thing on the internet?"

"Oh, that. No, that was just an idea I got from Akuma's blindness and her response to sound. If you watch her when I yelled, she tenses and I think it helps her get into battle. Yeah, I know it seems dumb, but it works for me."

"No, I don't think it's dumb. Hey, if it works, it works. I think that's cool, actually." Cool? Wait, this wasn't like her. She never really ever complemented me, or my Pokemon.

"Thanks. You were pretty good as well. I'm also sorry for hurting Perry. I didn't mean for something like that to happen, you know?"

"Of course I know that. It was during battle, and you don't have any reason to kill my Pokemon, even by accident. It's fine, so don't worry about it." Nodding, I took a bite of my croissant. Almost immediately, I spit it out from the sauce spread on the surface. "Sarah?!"

.

The rest of the day was spent training. Boring and stressful as it was, Akuma and Thorn needed some exercise. Both had been helping me, or Sarah, tame and tutor our new Pokemon. On top of that, I still felt that I needed a bit more practice. A victory over Sarah, while it did feel good, it was only from my strategy. I needed more power.

Akuma had a disadvantage in ranged combat, being a strong physical fighter. Her flames could only reach, at most, three meters. While it was a long distance in a short battle, a drawn out trainer battle, such as a gym battle, the advantage of range becomes more important. As such, I needed to improvement.

As such, I focused on her flame breath and aim. She was very adept at finding enemies and recognition, but actually attacking was her main flaw. Especially in physical combat, where she needed to advance to attack. While hunting a squeaking Pachirisu or Buneary, pinpointing their position was easier than attacking another silent hunter.

Over the course of noon to nightfall, I saw Akuma was exhausted, but she was able to keep her jet of flames up for longer than a few seconds. She had made enough progress for my liking, so I let her rest on the rocks. While I personally didn't see it as very comfortable, she seemed totally at home on the stone.

Thorn also made a lot of progress, but he couldn't train the entire time. Sarah's new Shroomish was generally untrained, but with my own supposed grass 'expertise', Thorn was basically conscripted to help train Sammy. While my own Pokemon was trying to help train another, he himself only had about two hours of his own to improve his Absorb attacks.

Finally, near nightfall, I pitched my tent and returned Thorn. With Akuma already asleep, I groaned as I heavily flopped on my sleeping bag, before realizing I still had Sarah's blanket. Too tired to care much for it, I just slept on it and dreamed of nicer and happier things.

Morning came with an unbearable earliness. Groggily, I stepped out of my tent and glared at the sun before heading to sit on a rock. Akuma trudged after me and yawned before laying next to me. Looking through the valley, I saw the sun rising over the forest. The sky was dyed a light and subtle orange and yellow, before turning blue. It was very pretty.

"Don't blind yourself, Dragon Boy," Sarah said playfully, scaring me. I nearly screamed before catching myself. Akuma jumped up and growled at Sarah, before calming down. I laid my hand on her neck.

"Oh, hey. Morning." I let my shoulders fall and sighed.

"What's wrong with you? Am I that big of a joy killer?" She glared at me and I sensed the dangerous daggers over my heart.

"No, no! I'm sorry, just a little tired. Didn't mean to be rude." I breathed easy once her eyes had forgiven me. "So, what's the plan for today? Training again, or to Eterna?"

"Well, we spent all day yesterday training, so I think we should go explore the city," she suggested. "Besides, I've spent too long in this stupid alcove." Weighing it in my head, I was hesitant to agree, but I had let her choose. To Eterna it was.

"Okay, then. But I want to stay here for just a little bit longer. Until the sunrise is done." Sarah sighed, but I didn't move from my rock. Akuma laid next to me and nuzzled against my leg.

"Fine," Sarah exasperatedly said. "But I'm going to clean up my tent. Stupid..." While she whispered the last part, I could barely make it out. Sighing, I muttered something about girls and their own schedules.

After the sky had turned a brilliant blue, scattered with only a few clouds, I still didn't want to move. To be honest, my leg had become numb and I didn't want to face it's wrath when I stood up. Unfortunately, I had a traveling partner who had other plans. Grabbing me under my armpits, I felt her breasts press into my back and I blushed, before being rudely jerked to me feet.

Staggering a bit, I collected myself before turning to face her. "C'mon, Dragon Boy. No time to lose! Now, go take care of your stuff. Because tomorrow, I'm leaving this place, with or without you." Kicking me in the butt, she pushed me toward my tent before I could even look at her.

Grumbling and rubbing my sore cheek, I forced myself not to show the pain of needles in my leg. I collapsed the cloth hut and rolled it back onto my pack. After giving Sarah a glancing glare, I shouldered my bag and returned Akuma before we descended into the city.

.

The museum we went to held a lot of interesting things about Eterna, including the forest. It was interesting to know that it was said to hold shrines of several mythical Pokemon, such as Celebi and the Weather Pokemon of Hoenn. While some claims had been mentioned, no proof of the shrines actually being there.

Of course, there was also the rumors of the temple of Darkrai being located in the northern sector was a fan favorite for some.

To me, I mostly just rolled my eyes through most of the religious stuff, as well as a lot of the history crap. The one part I did perk my ears for was the organisation which claimed to still have roots in this city. Team Galactic was once seen as a criminal organization after attempting to summon the gods Palkia and Dialga. It was almost scary to hear the remnants of the team were now our main science division.

"Arceus, this is boring," Sarah whispered to me, while I was listening to the presentation given by the curators.

"Hey, that's my line," I joked. Even though this was the best part, I agreed to follow her to the exit. We weaved through several of the listening customers, getting some disapproving looks from some of the older folks.

"Ahh~," Sarah breathed when we stepped back into the sunlight. "I thought it was going to be an eternity in there! That guy's voice is soo boring."

I nodded my agreement, but I still wanted to know a bit more about that Team Galactic. Still, I also noticed my stomach was feeling empty when I looked at the food stalls. "So, how about something to eat?"

We continued to jest and banter about the ridiculous Eterna museum we'd decided to visit. The Miltank burgers we'd ordered were a delicious meal for me, but Sarah only picked at her's. I didn't questioned it, but ate my own. She might not have been hungry or maybe was just busy talking, but I got to eat mine. That was what counted, right?

When I finished my food, Sarah tossed hers into the trash, only half finished. I raised an eyebrow, but she didn't seem to see it. She just walked off. Jogging a few steps, I caught up with her, but didn't want to say anything to get me yelled at. Together, we walked around, wandering through the streets.

"What's the date today," I asked casually. Hadn't I forgotten something? My eyebrows were pushed closer as I tried to remember.

"It's, uh, the twenty second of March," she read out from her PokeDex, monotone. "Why, is there something you need before your battle tomorrow? Listen, you'd better win, or I'm leaving you behind."

"Heh, I know," I replied, scratching the back of my head. "Actually, it's not really important. I'm just an idiot, is all." Sarah stepped in front of me before looking me in the face. I looked back for a second, before I blushed and looked away. Her studying stare was hard to contend with.

"I can see you're hiding something. Spit it out." She jabbed me in the ribs to force me to speak up. I tried to step back to escape the painful poking.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you! Just stop trying to kill me! Deal!?" She continued to poke at me, though it didn't hurt as much as before.

"C'mon already! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" She emphasized every 'me' with a finger to the ribs. If only she didn't have finger nails, it'd be a lot more bearable.

"Okay! It's my birthday, alright? Jeez, I told you it wasn't anything important." While I was freed from the pain of being poked in the chest, I was suddenly tackled by a laughing Sarah. I caught myself before I fell onto the hard sidewalk and tried to pry her arms from off of my head, but she just giggled and squeezed tighter. With two flesh cushions pressed to my face, I couldn't breathe. If this was her idea of a gift, I'd hate to see the cake.

"So, how old is the Dragon Boy? C'mon, you gotta tell me!" She finally let go of me and dropped down onto the pavement. Instead, she held my shoulders and grinned like it was her own birthday.

"I'm seventeen now, I think." I barely finished the sentence before Sarah squealed again and hugged me.

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? We could've had a party and everything! And I still need to buy you something!" Dashing off, Sarah was grinning and giggling like a little girl. "I'll meet you back at the Pokemon Center soon," she called out before turning down a street and disappearing.

Glancing around me, I felt the heat rise to my face when I realized everyone was staring at me. Ducking my head, I slipped past them and ignored them while I tried to find a place to drown my embarrassment. Why did Sarah have to make things difficult for me?

.

Since Sarah hadn't said anything about an actual time she'd be back, I returned to the Pokemon Center and sat in one of the armchairs. There weren't very many trainers in the Pokemon Center this early in the day, but there were always people in need of help.

Yawning, I rubbed my eyes and laid back in the chair. The soft cushions were easy enough to relax in. Soon enough, I was closing my eyes and snoring.

"Hey," a familiar voice said. While I rolled over in the chair, still trying to sleep. "C'mon, wake up! I got you your present." Sarah started poking me in the arm.

Stretching, I cracked open an eye to see Sarah carrying a small poorly wrapped box under her arm. "Wha's goin' on," I asked groggily. Yawning, I stood up and bent backwards to stretch before fully opening my eyes. I had to blink away my sleep, though.

"What's going on is my present. C'mon and open it already!" Her hands instantly shot out, the box almost smacking me in the nose. I instinctively tried to move back, but the chair behind me stopped me from escaping. "Just take it, will you?"

Hesitant, I took the box and tore off the wrappings. Pulling open the top, I peered inside to see a trio of different items. "Sarah, t-thanks. This means a lot."

"Well it better. I spent my own money on that." Smiling, I knew I wouldn't get off easy, even if it was my birthday. "Well? Are we going to go get some cake or what? And stop grinning like an idiot. It's not that big of a deal..." A red blush colored Sarah's cheeks as she stepped back. It made me laugh a small laugh, which only served to get me a sharp glare in response.

"Hold on for just a second. I'll just put these in my room and then cake." Happiness was one emotion I felt. The others... I don't know. I didn't want to push anything with Sarah, but what was she playing at? One second she seems to like me, the next and she's mad at me. I guessed she might be as confused as I was, deciding to drop it.

In my designated room, I put my bag on the bed and took the contents of my gift out of the box. Deino keychain, a new black hoodie, and a bag of soft gummy candy. Shoving most of the contents into my bag, I took a handful of the candy and ate them as I jumped down the stairs.

Sarah was impatient with me and, the second she saw me, dragged me out the door and I was nearly ran over by a passing truck. Luckily, an arm was wrapped around mine to anchor me to the sidewalk. After that, I stumbled to follow the girl who was dragging me past other people. The stares they gave were enough motivation to resist.

"Alright, here we are," Sarah exclaim, stopping in front of a familiar cafe. It was the Elegant Petilil, the sign announcing the name. "I was here my... I think it was my third day? Anyways, you _have_ to try their cake." Laughing under my breath, having done the same thing. Sarah looked my way, forcing me to keep a straight face.

Walking inside, we took our seats at a small table near the window. While the window wasn't exactly clear, the green leaves frosty and opaque, I was still a bit self-concious. After all Sarah had done today to embarrass me, I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled something here.

One of the waitresses, dressed in the usual formal attire, walked over and looked at us expectantly. "May I take your order?"

"Uh-"

"We'll take two of your Oddish cakes," Sarah said, interrupting me before I could answer. She smirked at me before nodding to the waitress. The waitress then looked at me before looking back at Sarah.

"We'll share, I guess. Just bring two cakes?" She looked at me with a glance before nodding and retreated to the counters. "I would've ordered the Oddish cake anyways. You didn't need to order for me."

"Doesn't matter," Sarah waved it off. "Anyways, you look like you know this place. Have you already been here?" Laughing sheepishly, I nodded. "Damn it! Surprise ruined."

"Sorry. I was hungry then, and I just... Yeah, sorry." I couldn't really come up with an excuse, but my effort to show I was sorry seemed to work. Sarah just leaned back in the cafe chair and crossed her arms over her chest. While she looked to be a bit pouty, she didn't seem angry.

For a while, we just sat there awkwardly. I didn't know what to say, and it seemed Sarah didn't either. Until I heard someone talking about the upcoming Elite Four challenges, we were honestly looking at the menu and each other.

Once we were talking about the League, things started moving a bit quicker. Mainly with Sarah picking up the topic and telling me all about her battle and the news she'd heard. While I was interested in her gym battle, I couldn't listen very well when the waitress brought us our plates.

"Can I get you two anything else," the waitress asked, interrupting Sarah's story. The latter glared at the former, but I gave Sarah a look to say 'Drop it'.

"Could I get some coffee? You need anything, Sarah?" I raised my eyebrows to signal her. Crossing her arms over her chest, she just looked back at me.

"I'll just go get your coffee and let you two sort this out." The waitress sheepishly backed out and left to, most likely, brew some coffee. It was probably for the better she didn't intervene in this anyways.

"You could have just said you didn't want anything," I said, poking the green cake with my fork. Taking a bite, I savored the sugary goodness in the spongy cake and thick frosting. This was the good stuff. Sarah had done the same, but was eating much faster than me. I had to stifle a laugh. She'd easily been distracted with a sweet treat, dropping her hostility.

"Ahh~! That was good! Maybe I really should have ordered a second piece for myself. Better yet, an entire cake!" Laughing again, Sarah set down her fork while I was only half through mine.

"You should savor it, not inhale it. At least, that's what my dad always says." I immediately took another bite of my own cake and enjoyed the flavor, rather than take another bite.

"Well, your dad has never tried this cake then. C'mon, just enjoy it and eat it!" Sighing, I took another larger bite on Sarah's suggestion.

"It's good and I like it, but I still don't feel like eating it all at once." I was immediately saved by a steaming cup of creamy brown liquid, stopping Sarah from responding with another reason to eat faster. I thanked the waitress and took a hesitant sip, since it was still hot.

"So, how is it," Sarah questioned. She looked genuinely curious about it's taste.

"Not bad," was all I could really think to respond with. "Oh, yeah. You never finished your gym battle."

"Oh. Right, I never did finish that story. Um. So, when I ordered Yami to..." I sighed and relaxed after my muscles. Distracting Sarah with a chance to show her aptitude in battle, even after losing to me. Barely. Listening was a challenge of it's own, of course. While most of my interest was Chelsea's fighting style, Sarah hardly focused on anything other than her own Pokemon.

Finally, she ended with her triumph over Chelsea's Ferrothorn and I paid for the bill. Sarah followed me out and gleefully ran out into the street and yelled, "Freedom!" I couldn't help but laugh when I saw a car stop for her, before honking. Honestly, I'd almost forgotten I'd been in the woods for weeks.

We spent the afternoon walking around and looking around town. As fun as it was, we didn't do much. It was a slow, but nice birthday, which was a rare thing for someone like me to say. I generally enjoyed everything, all of today's events, even when Sarah had embarrassed me. I don't think she cared much about the attention, but the looks she got weren't the nicest.

"Let's go get hammered, get some drinks and party the night away!" Sarah pointed at the bar sign hanging overhead. "No one has to know we're underage, so we can both get some beers."

"I don't think you know how that works," I stated, bland and monotone.

"We'll just order a beer or two, then we can go back to the Pokemon Center and party there. Loosen up and let's party!" Sarah made a move towards the bar's door, but I caught her arm.

"What'll happen when they ask for your ID," I asked, a serious expression on her face. While I wasn't against partying with her, drinking was not an option for us. Being seventeen now did open the option for a few things, it was eighteen when we would be allowed to drink. Judging by Sarah's looks, she wasn't eighteen either.

"Yeah, you're right," Sarah sighed, dejected and pouty. "But what else are we gonna party with? Drinks or what?" A few things came to mind, but I couldn't say much of anything without consequences. Reluctantly, Sarah and I went back to the Pokemon Center after eating some kebabs.

Even after eating it, I still didn't know what it was.

Sarah joined me in my room for a few hours, a few snacks and soft drinks between us. We talked, partied, and joked around until after dark. I enjoyed the small party, even if it wasn't much. It meant a lot, after my last birthday party, back when we'd lost everything.

Before Sarah left, she gave me several tips and a bit of a motivational speech. She was genuinely concerned about my battle tomorrow, but I had the seriousness to battle. The upside was that the battle wasn't until noon, but I could use the help.

Once Sarah had returned to her room, I sat alone in the dark. Several minutes of sitting, thinking, I finally changed and prepared for sleep. Slowly, I fell into the grasps of sleep.

. . .

Akuma was happy to be able to eat again. I wanted to make sure both Thorn and Akuma were prepared for the battle, and giving the carnivore a small meal of a Pidgey and Starly. Thorn was okay after getting some sunlight and water. The only thing I was sketchy on was the Zorua. I still had to give it a good name, and Akuma was the only one who could give it orders.

"You don't have to use the Zorua if you don't want to. You just need to win with Akuma and Thorn." Sarah was confident in my abilities, which did make me feel a bit better. She was standing nearby with Sammy, giving it a chance to photosynthesize.

"I know, but I did say I was going to use it," I reasoned. I tossed the red Pokeball from hand to hand. I knew I could release it now, and I already had a butchered Pidgey for it, but I wasn't certain.

"Well, you obviously had it under control the other day. It's about time you feed it anyways. You know what the Nurse said."

Hesitant, I aimed the Pokeball and pressed the button. I quickly pulled out the meat and called to Akuma before the illusionist could do much. "I'm going to give you food," I said calmly, using Akuma as a translator. The grey Zorua got the message pretty fast when I held out the raw meat for it to take.

While it was a bit cautious about taking the food from my hands, Akuma was able to coax it into eating. It wasn't that it wasn't hungry, but it didn't want to take anything from me. Since Akuma had told it to eat, it took it quickly before tearing into the bird.

"Why can't all my Pokemon just listen to me," I breathed. My thoughts switched to the Pachirisu, which was a pain in my side. Being so weak, I'd expected it's will to capitulate to mine, but some just _had_ to ruin it.

"See? The Zorua is looking a lot better aftsr the meal. No problems." Focusing back on the present, I looked at the Zorua. Better was the blood on it's mouth, seeming to bend into a crazy smile. But it was looking at me, expectantly.

"Now you're going to listen to me," I asked it sarcastically.

"Yes, because you're my master," Sarah voiced, talking over my shoulder. I smiled at the voice she'd used, being extremely high pitched.

"Okay, then. If we're going to win, let's give it our all!" I touched Thorn's bud, careful not to prick myself. My fingers ran through Akuma's thick fur. Then I looked to the Zorua. While it was small and cute, I wasn't sure if it was safe. Cautiously, I slowly held my hand out.

The sharp clicking noise of teeth colliding was all the proof of barely getting away. Akuma growled and screeched at the Zorua, who cowered and tried to shrink behind Akuma. It's tail was unnaturally large while it's body got smaller and smaller. Reaching out my hand again, I touched the Zorua before I thought I could, my fingers vanishing.

That was all the time I could touch it before it snapped at me again. I didn't lose my fingers today, but I swear I could feel the sharp teeth graze my knuckles.

"Alright everyone. Today is the date. Let's go kick some Eterna City ass!" My motivational speech ended with me yelling and Akuma letting out a high pitched roar. Smirking, I returned all of them to their Pokeballs. "To the gym," I simply stated. My blood was pumping and I was ready.

The trip to the gym was almost like a procession at a parade. There were so many people trying to get to lunch that it was hard to move through them. While they weren't throwing candy, there were even advertising trucks. Sarah was as frustrated as me as we pushed through the swarms of people. Finally, we reached the doors of the gym with a few minutes to spare.

"Arceus, why are there so many people at lunch time? Can't they just get something practical like a burger and get off the streets?" Sarah fumed at the crowds while we breathed inside the giant glass gym.

"Well, at least we got here on time. I've only got about twelve minutes before I should be down in the pit." I nodded to Sarah and put my three Pokeballs in my pocket. "So, are you going to watch or pay for a seat?"

"It's not too expensive for a ticket, but looking at all these people, I don't know if I'll actually get a seat." I was beginning to see Sarah wasn't one for crowds, as well as impatient. "I'll take the risk and I'll watch from the stands. See you there, alright. Oh, and you better win." Running off towards the desks, Sarah waved to me before slipping in between the crowds.

"I guess it's time for me to get down into the pit," I mumbled to myself. Going down a set of stairs, after showing my PokeDex to a security man, I entered into the familiar dim room with benches and the schedule. Currently, I was next in line. After looking at the other trainers waiting, I found an empty seat and plopped myself down.

Taking out Akuma's Pokeball, I let her out and told her to sit next to me. A few trainers glanced my way, even scooting away, but my hand kept her from doing anything. It was a bit awkward anyways, but I felt like the sounds of battling above was setting others off more than Akuma.

"You ready to fight," I asked in a whisper. The blind dragon turned and seemed to say, 'Do you need to ask?'. Smirking, I sat back against the wall and waited for the sounds of battling to subside. I mumbled to keep calm and I thought about what Sarah had said. Winning was my only option.

After several minutes of waiting, the time for my battle came and went. My foot began to subconsciously bounce and my nerves started to act up. My thumb was my main target and chewing it up was my method of calming myself. By the time I heard the crowds cheer and the battling stop, I had shredded my thumb nail to pieces. My name was called and Akuma was returned to her Pokeball.

Breathing, I stood up and stepped into the elevator and held Akuma's Pokeball in my hand. I shifted in with my fingertips and constantly resized it again and again as the elevator began to rise up. Slowly, the sounds of the crowds grew louder until the sunlight blinded me when the cover overhead opened up.

 _"The Challenger has appeared!"_ The loudspeakers cut across the field as I came to a halt on the surface. My jaw hurt from the tension I felt, my muscles tight and contracted. The crowd was a dull roar and I kept my head level. I couldn't look up at them yet. Even if I knew Sarah was watching, I wasn't foolish enough to search the stands for her.

My calm demeanor was able to hold while I made my way to the center of the field, where the gym leader was standing. Chelsea seemed nice enough, her face a bold smile. While she wasn't thin, she was definitely lean and muscular. I held out my hand and greeted her with a firm handshake.

"I hope you're not some wimp like all the other's I've beaten this week," she jested. "No time for weaklings in this League, kid."

 _"Link your Dexes!"_ Pulling out my PokeDex, I held it out for Chelsea to link to. It took only a second, but I felt nervous while my picture was displayed on the large screen in the stands, along with my name, score, and three rolling Pokeballs. _"The Challenger has three Pokemon and a perfect 1-0 rating! Let's see how long that lasts?!"_ Whoever was behind the microphone was obviously doubting me.

Akuma was ready in my palm while I waited for Chelsea to release her first Pokemon, but when her voice rang out, it wasn't the start of the battle.

"Rules are this! Two switches, one potion! If I say switch, you switch! Got it?! No attacking me, the crowd, or anyone for that matter! You should already know this, but I still have to say them!" Then, with a sharp snap, the signal was given and I released Akuma in front of me. With a quick yell, I gave the orders for combat.

 _"The battle has started off with a strange war cry! And is that a Deino?!"_ Akuma ran forward towards the gym leaders Pokemon. Looking at it, it seemed like she was starting off with her toughest first. The small Ferroseed was resting in the dirt while Akuma searched for it.

"Use Dragon's Breath," I shouted. Akuma could hear the crowds, but she could feel the vibrations of the steel seed trying to burrow into the dirt of the arena. Unleashing a torrent of blue flames, I knew the dense seed Pokemon wouldn't stand much of a chance. It was a good choice, considering the rarity of fire and dragon Pokemon, but when there was one, the Ferroseed was screwed.

"You think that puny little Deino could hurt my Erizo? Let's show this newbie trainer how to properly fight!" Akuma quickly shot breath after breath at the Ferroseed, but it responded by rolling along the ground into Akuma. It quickly changed directions and came back to roll over my fallen dragon.

I'd seen this already, last year. A confident smirk crossed my face.

"Akuma, dodge and retaliate! Just like last time!" Akuma picked herself up, jumped over the rolling Ferroseed, and blasted a Dragon's Rage directly as it passed underneath. The force blasted Akuma into a higher jump and propelled her away from the dust cloud.

 _"It looks like this trainer already has a strategy for Leader Harron! And it seems to be fairly effective at that!"_ Damn right, it is! My hand made a fist and I felt my nails start to sting my palm while I waited for the dust to settle. As the clouds fell, the Ferroseed was still alive and kicking. Well, maybe not kicking...

Immediately, I called for Akuma to attack with her Dragon Breath, but Leader Chelsea Harron saw it coming. She ordered her Ferroseed to self destruct. As Akuma rushed forward to blast fire over the steel seed, it suddenly exploded violently. The smoke covered Akuma and the Ferroseed, but I knew at least the Ferroseed didn't make it through. I was honestly stunned she pulled a move like that.

 _"Oh, it looks like Leader Harron pulled out her final trick up the sleeve already?! I don't think that Deino will be walking away from that, even if it's a dragon!"_ Pulling out her Pokeball, I returned Akuma before the smoke cleared and checked her health. The percentile was flashing a bright red 12% with trauma to her front legs and neck.

Chelsea looked at me from across the field and seemed to question me. What was I planning? I quickly sent out the Zorua on a whim, but I was still on the fence about it. Without Akuma to help, I wasn't able to command it. Even though I could call out orders, it was hardly likely to obey. Still, I'd be a fool not to say a thing.

"Alright, Felix. You only have to win one battle, since Akuma will be recovered by then. I promise you'll get a whole Buneary if you win!" It was worth a shot to give some orders. Even if they ended up unfulfilled, hopefully the message got across. I was nervous about letting the newly named Zorua battle already.

 _"Looks like this trainer has some real rarities on his team! First a Deino, and now a Zorua?!"_

A Tangela appeared on the Gym Leader's side of the field and Felix prepared for combat. While he wasn't loyal to me, he could see the enemy ahead. It was all the motivation anyone needed to fight.

Felix didn't do anything at first, but stood there watching the Tangela as it approached. Until it was close by, Felix' only actions were to observe the mass of walking vines. As soon as it stepped near enough, Felix released a sheer blackness from underneath his fur.

The darkness washed over my body and sent chills down my body, right before pushing me onto my back. The Tangela had a lot less luck, having been slammed forcibly down to the dirt. Felix ran forward and sunk his fangs into the writhing mass of the vine Pokemon. While small and lithe, he was violence and vicious.

Snapping back to the fight, the Tangela retaliated with a thick vine to the side. Felix flew across the field and landed against a decorative tree. I couldn't help but call out to him while he just laid there. He had next to no competitive battling experience, so he might have been simply going by the wilderness' rules. Suddenly, it morphed into a Deino and stood to face the advancing Tangela. I could see some flaws, but when the camera focused on it, all I heard was the announcer.

 _"Looks like the Challenger isn't done yet! It seems the Zorua has created an illusion of the Challenger's Deino, but I can't say that will make much of a difference for the Zorua!"_ Felix, or the faux Akuma, ran towards the opponent. Aiming for his head, the Tangela swung another vine meant to maim him.

But it passed right through the illusion with easy, continuing past and pulled the tangled mass of vines forward. Felix used his own weight, under the guise of Akuma, to knock the Tangela to the ground. _"The Zorua has brought the Tangela to the ground with the help of it's illusion! Amazing!"_ About time you said something good about me...

Felix leapt onto the planty wad and began to tear in to it with razor sharp fangs. He seemed to be making progress and doing damage until a thick vine made contact with his side. Felix was once again tossed through the air, before landing down in the dirt. And this time he didn't get up.

 _"It looks like the Zorua has been knocked down! Will he get up again, or is he down for the count!?"_ I called to Felix, but he stayed in the dirt. Sighing, I pointed his Pokeball and returned him. Lastly, I pulled out my third and final Pokemon. Thorn would be able to hold out better, having more combat experience, but I was getting nervous.

Thorn appeared a dozen feet in front of me. His light green body was looking fuller than earlier, but he was still very small. I wasn't sure if I could win. Just to be sure, I pulled out one of my potions, my only available potion. I administered it through Pokeball and healed Akuma, though her wounds were pretty serious. The potion would take a few moments to take effect, but I already had Thorn out for battle.

"Alright, Thorn. We have only two targets, two more opponents." I looked up at the large screen before seeing a flash from across the field.

 _"Oh, it looks like Leader Harron has returned her Tangela! That Zorua must have really done a number on it!"_

"Make that one more, Thorn. I'll keep Akuma on the bench, just in case." I nodded to Thorn, giving the signal to advance. Looking across the field, I saw another flash and I gritted my teeth, before my shoulders fell. A booming cry came from the large quadropedal Tropius now on the other side of the field. I felt my gut drop past my balls as I looked at it.

Even though it was larger than Akuma, towering over Thorn, I couldn't leave it at that. Steeling myself, I called for Thorn to keep his distance, but to attack.

 _"Even in the face of Leader Harron's Tropius, the Challenger still wants to fight with his tiny Budew! He must be planning something, or already have a plan!"_ My teeth were starting to hurt from grinding them together. I might not have had any plans, but I was going to make this a win. I had to.

Before Thorn had made it within range for an accurate Razor Leaf, a ball of green energy began charging in the Tropius' mouth. It was quickly released and impacted Thorn in a quick blast. Before he could recover, the leafy wings shot out from it's back and it leaped into the air, hovering above the battle field. I was beginning to see how this would be a problem, facing off against a flying Pokemon.

Back on his feet, Thorn sent a sharp leaf upwards, towards the flying Pokemon. While it was powerful, the larger body also presented a target. It was obvious, once it tried to dodge, it wasn't meant for close combat. The leaf bit into it's side, causing it to grunt and fall to the ground. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded Thorn.

 _"Oh, ladies and gentlemen! It looks like the Challenger's Budew is evolving! This is an impressive event!"_

As the light dissipated, I saw the new form of Thorn revealed as suddenly as it had started. Two small roses bloomed from his hands, one a deep red and the other a violent violet. A trio of spikes made a crown on his head, all sharp. A sign of graceful elegance. A small smile pulled at the corners of my mouth.

"Thorn!" I yelled out of glee and happiness. My Pokemon had evolved for me, now of all times. Besides that, it was my first evolution I'd seen. In a sudden twirl, Thorn launched a volley of small leaves into the air. I watched as they cut into the Tropius, but most simply nicked it's sides and helmeted head. One, however, left a larger gash in it's leg. A small smile started to return.

It didn't last long, though. A roar sounded before it began flapping it's massive leafy wings to knock Thorn off his feet. The small rose Pokemon blew around in the small storm that the flying grass type had created. I braced myself against the torrent of wind, which made my jacket whip in the gale.

The blows went back and forth, with my Roselia throwing leaves or absorbing energy, but he didn't last long against the winds, his weakness. After another gale of winds, Thorn wasn't getting up for a while. His tuxedo-like leaves had been torn and tattered in areas and a few of his new petals had been torn out as well. I knew this would happen in the end. And he'd even evolved and everything. I knew he'd be bummed when everything was said and won.

"Switch," gym leader Harron called out. It was almost redundant, but I complied. Returning him, I pulled out Akuma again. This was the last battle.

The black and violet dragon roared the second she was out of her Pokeball. She probably expected a rematch between her and the Ferrowseed, but she only shifted her weight when the Tropius roared back. I bit my lip, but still focused on the goal. Giving orders, I allowed Akuma to race forward.

Having been caught in the blast earlier, I'd expected her to be a bit more hesitant, or cautious. Still, it was inspiring, seeing her charging a beast larger than she was.

Flanking, Akuma ran headfirst into the fray, quite literally. She smashed into the side off the winged plant before it could snake it's head around to defend itself. While significantly smaller, Akuma was still very strong. The Tropius stumbled before catching it's balance and lashing out with blizzard of leaves. While they weren't very sharp or anything, the sudden attack came without warning and surprised Akuma, knocking her back.

But, she still had to finish the fight. Akuma locked onto the target, searching via sound and verberations and small tremors. Suddenly, she rushed out and away from the Tropius, just in time to avoid a giant leaf from it's neck. I shouted out for her to attack with ranged while it prepared to leap into the air. Gaining a firm ground, Akuma opened her maw and shot a column of flames at her target, but the Tropius expertly dodged while in the air.

The trade from ground to air and back again, while smart for one side, was not in my favor. Akuma could only shoot fire, at most, 4 meters. The Tropius could easily fly above the breath attack and dodge. Luckily, the Tropius wasn't all that offensive in the air, so coming back to the ground for stability was all it would do, other than blow air on the Deino.

Whenever the Tropius touched the ground, Akuma was there to bite and gnash at the sides of the larger monster, using dark apparitions to cause as much damage as possible. The fangs left gashes in it's planty hide, but didn't draw much damage due to the larger size of her opponent. And she was taking damage as well.

 _"The Challenger is fighting well! It looks like, even if the Deino looks to be disadvantaged, it seems to be dealing some lasting damage!"_

The health on her Pokeball continued to drop during the battle, but I had faith since she was dealing as much damage as she could. I just hoped she could hold out long enough.

In a breath of fire, Akuma engulfed the Tropius' head and retreated, but caught a leaf to the side and fell. "Akuma!" I saw her struggle to get up while the Tropius stumbled towards her. Akuma was still on the ground when the smoke smoldered out on the Tropius' face. As it lumbered closer, I began to grit my teeth in fear. This was now or never.

As soon as it stood close enough, Akuma lept forward and sunk her dark fangs into it's leg. As the Tropius reared back in pain, it dragged her up with it, before sending her to the ground. I winced, but Akuma continued to keep her hold. After the third time meeting the ground, her grip faltered and she was left there.

In a final attempt, a burst of blue flames lit up the underside of the Tropius. In one sharp cry, it collapsed to the side to try and protect it's underside. Checking her pokeball, I winced when I saw such a low percentage on the small display. Her injuries were pretty severe, and I could see she was finally being affected from them. She wasn't moving much, but stood her ground as she observed the Tropius struggle on the ground.

As soon as the green giant tried to rise, a jet of blue flame scorched the side of it. It was forced back to the ground to hide it's side. Leader Harron kept calling for it to get up and fight, but it's instincts were forcing it to disobey. Which was perfect for Akuma, who seemed to have figured out the weak point of the hulking beast.

Three flame jets later, the Tropius refused to rise again. If it tried, it would be burned. If it said down, the fire wasn't hitting it. Even with Leader Harron's commands, it did nothing. Seeing it's resolve shattered, Akuma dove onto the huge green giant and tore at it's throat and side with dark fangs. It simply cowered in fear and pain. In a flash, Akuma dropped to the ground and the battle was won.

 _"Ladies and Gentlemen, the Challenger has won his second gym battle! Give it up for him and his Deino!"_

A loud cheer rang out from the crowd and I grinned and laughed away the tension. The battle had lasted a lot longer than I'd hoped, but I'd done it. I returned Akuma to her pokeball and promised to get her a good meal after this. I breathed in a heavy breath of relief, before walking to the center of the field.

"That was a good battle at the beginning, but I question the strategy against my Tropius," Leader Harron criticized the battle, and I clenched my teeth. "Still, you beat me, so I am obligated to give you the badge of the Forest. I am looking forward to facing your Deino later on, maybe when it's a Hydreigon or something. It's quite surprising, considering the territorial battle up on Mt. Coronet. Anyways. I hope to see you progress, kid." Shaking my hand, I was beginning feel bad about how the match ended. I, or at least, Akuma had fought dirty and had used fear to her advantage.

.

Sarah congratulated me after I collected my reward, storing my badge, money, and TM 86 in my bag. After a few laughs, and a bit of a questionable talk of Akuma's behavior during the fight, we went to the Pokemon Center and rested our Pokemon. Akuma's health, while dipping below 10%, wasn't as bad as it could be. A severed limb or a disembodied organ was much more severe than a few bumps, bruises, and cuts. Even if she had a hairline fracture in her left leg, the nurse reported that they could return in half an hour for their Pokemon.

In the mean time, we paid one last visit to the Elegant Petilil and ate the delicious Oddish Cake they so gracefully prepared. I talked about the battle with Sarah, asking for some feedback, though often subtly. I did get some sarcastic remarks on my "terrible" battle, but we did agree on a few of my faults. I nodded at many of the issues, but argued a few of them, before we paid our bill and returned to the Pokemon Center to pick up our Pokemon.

After a quick trip to the Pokemart and grocery mart for supplies, such as pokeballs, potions, Chancey Extract, and some food, we made our way towards the eastern edge of town. I was grateful for the thick wad of cash in my wallet, thanks to my success at the gym, but when most of it disappeared, I was hesitant to even look at anything or else my remaining money vanish.

Finally, we were on our way. I held Akuma's pokeball in my palm, and I was anxious to be outside of the borders. With success still fresh on my mind, I was impatient and I was ready to be free. While we were crossing the border of town, my PokeDex rang and I picked up the call. My ear was nearly deafened by the loud cheer my mother gave. I almost wanted to hang up when Sarah started laughing.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Mom. Please don't scream at me." I didn't like talking to my parents, not after having left for the second time. But with my Mom still being supportive, I couldn't just hang up on her. We talked while Sarah and I walked. I purposely tried to sound uninterested, tried to end it as soon as possible.

"'Bout time you got here," a voice said from under a tree. I whipped around and tensed, before I recognized the voice. Coming out of the shadows, with a Vulpix by his side, Miles stepped up to Sarah. "Good day, fair lady. You've got lovely hair. Has this guy ever said that?"

Caught off guard by the sudden compliments, Sarah blushed and shook her head. Miles looked at me, before placing a quick peck on her lips. Sarah, for one, obviously wasn't expecting it, and I definitely wasn't. While I was surprised, Sarah was almost definitely stunned.

"Hey," I yelled and grabbed Miles' hand, before I realized what this looked like. Dropping his hand, I backed away and gritted my teeth. I'd been hoping to do that same thing myself, but I knew her too well to just.. do that. In the awkward silence, I heard a sound from my side. "Oh. Sorry, Mom. I gotta go." I hung up the call and pocketed my Dex.

"Hey, wait a minute! Who said you could kiss me?!" Pushing Miles away from her, she lost the daze from the sudden kiss. Miles simply laughed and backed away with his hands up. Judging from Sarah's and Miles' expression, I guessed they didn't know each other.

"Now, now. Calm down. It was just a little kiss. I thought you were cute, and I meant it as a compliment. No need to kill me or anything." Sarah had her pokeball out and she looked down-right serious about releasing a Pokemon to kill Miles. Jumping in between them, I held my hands to keep them apart.

"Woah, now! Let's take this slowly. Sarah, this is Miles. I met him back in Oreburgh and again at the Eterna gym. Miles, this is Sarah. She's been with me since the beginning of my journey." After introducing them, I backed away so they could shake hands. Sarah was stuck with a glare, while Miles took the hint and extended a hand. Reluctantly, as well as cautious, Sarah held out her hand.

With introductions out of the way, I wanted to know why Miles was here. "So, what are you doing here? I'm assuming you didn't come here just to see me off." Miles simply laughed. I gritted my teeth through his charismatic laugh. I still didn't like him much.

"Why else? I'm planning on traveling with you. Though I didn't expect you to be kicking around with such a girl. Seriously, you're lucky to have someone like her from right off the bat, I'd say."

It was almost like an obvious thing for Miles, but I was struck dumb, just like Sarah had been. After a few seconds, I scoffed, before getting a punch to my shoulder from Sarah. Rubbing my now sore shoulder, I turned back to the expectant Miles.

"Well, there is the saying 3 is a crowd-"

"And there's also 'the more the merrier'. Besides, we're both going to the same place. Or, the three of us. Doesn't really actually matter, now that I think about it. I could just tail you the whole way with Silverwings, but he's not really one for long distance traveling yet..." Looking back at us, Miles cleared his throat before backing up a step. "So?"

"Fine," I replied, sighing to make it seem like I really wasn't interested. In honesty, I was on edge. I already didn't like the guy very much, and now he was willing to join us? In the wild? With Sarah? The idea just rubbed me wrong, and I definitely was opposed to it. I just wasn't sure about Sarah. After all, he had come on stronger than I had, and she seemed to have gotten over the kiss already.

"Alright! Let's get this show on the road, then! We aren't here to watch the grass grow, are we?" Confident, Miles hoisted his pack as he walked down Route 211. Sarah followed, but I was left to run through the situation and decide with to do next. After a few seconds, I sprinted to catch up with Sarah.

.

The rest of the day went by fairly slowly. Miles continued to flirt and hit on Sarah, and while she mostly enjoyed the attention, she mostly rebuffed him. They tended to talk to each other more than me, but I was fine with the silence. Akuma was loyally padding along beside me, occasionally growling at the unfamiliar person in our group.

Traveling on the path in the spring wasn't exactly the calmest of seasons. After two kilometers of traveling, a trainer challenged us, and I elected Miles to go first. During combat, I found he only had two Pokemon, but his Vulpix and Pidgeotto were fairly powerful. Unfortunately, the trainer we faced was fresh from Veilstone City, and he had the badges to prove it.

After that crushing defeat, as well as a few quick poitions, we started entering the real mountains. The Gate had been one thing as a cave system, but judging from the maps there was only one option. Not under, not around. Up and over, though the snowy caps.

With snow come cold. Vice versa. I'd had my coat stored in my bag for the past week, just as the temperature started turning to something Spring-like. It felt weird digging it out of my bag, my hands shaking from cold by evening when I gave in. Of course, it was also awkward when I was the only one without a coat anyways.

By the time it was getting dark, Miles and his Pidgeotto found a small cave for us to spend the night. Luckily for us, the cave was inhabited by a small family of Drilbur and Excadrill. After a small skirmish, being 7 on 4, we were left with a pretty nice dinner. Akuma dug into hers, along side Felix and Yami, while the three of us tended to cooking our three Drilburs.

Each of the burrowing Pokemon was valuable for one reason; their claws. We all agreed to share the claws, with me winning a coin flip to take the Excadrill's claws and metal bits, before Akuma started chewing on them. After everything was stored away and cleaned, we turned the Drilbur over a fire made with surrounding tree branches.

We all ate our Drilbur with mostly silence. Akuma's loud and messy eating was one of the sounds, the other was the occasional Hoothoot or Zubat. It was slightly awkward, but I enjoyed the meal itself. Miles shared his with Ignis and Silverwings, as he called his Vulpix and Pidgeotto. They both sat around him as if to brag about their loyalty as they took scraps of meat from Miles' fingers.

After dinner, it was a bit strange as I staked my small tent along side Sarah's. Miles simply had a sleeping bag, while both of us had a small shelter. My inner human told me to share my own tent, but there was never going to be enough room for both of us. Sarah's tent was larger than mine, but it was Sarah's, not mine. We were in a small cave though, which could be claimed as shelter. It helped take my mind off the problem as I zipped shut the entrance of my tent and slipped into my sleeping bag next to Akuma.

In the morning, Miles was the first one awake. Even with his messy hair and clothes, he immediately became the designated as the morning alarm clock. Sarah was more energetic than me, and I was the last one out of the cave. Stretching, I groaned as Miles commanded us forward. We continued our march up the side of the mountain.

"Alright, I think I can figure out how far you guys can walk." Miles stopped and turned to face the two of us.

"Wait, what are you talking about," I asked, suddenly scared Miles was not the same guy he claimed to be. My hand slipped down to my PokeDex. "Is this some test I just failed?"

"No, what the hell are you talking about? I'm just going to go scouting, and I wanted to know how fast you guys can travel so I can catch up later. With Silverwings, we're going to fly around the peaks, and I'm going to be the first one to see the battlefield between Ascalon and the Hydreigon." With a stupid grin, Miles released his Pidgeotto and waved at Sarah and I, before saddling up on the back of the large bird. I wasn't entirely certain the four-foot bird could fly, but when the strong bird lept into the air, I changed my answer.

"What the Arceus just happened," Sarah questioned as she watched Miles fly off. "I mean, I know what happened, but what the Arceus?" Looking at me, we both burst out laughing before we tried to figure out what Miles meant. Flying on his Pidgeotto wasn't fastest means of travel horizontally, but compared to vertically, he'd cover a lot more ground.

"He's damn lucky, that's for one. I want to check out the Hydreigon nests and the Champion's Haxorus, too. If only Akuma could evolve sooner. Then I could just fly anywhere I needed to."

"Yeah, and then try dealing with an immature Zweilous," Sarah warned with a laugh. "And you forgot teleportation. Almost any Psychic trainer would call you an idiot for not considering that mode of transport."

"Oh, yeah. Let me just get my Deino to teleport me across the continent," I joked, with sarcasm dripping. "Honestly, I don't enjoy teleporting around. It just... I don't even care. I don't like it."

"After one try? That's a pretty strong refusal for it already. But too bad. You're coming with me on my first jump."

"Already did that." After a sly smirk, as well as a hard shove, we started walking again. The constant company with Miles was uncomfortable, but now that he was gone, it was so much easier to talk freely without him. I still felt a bit angry he'd gotten the drop on Sarah before I did, but now we were alone, I felt like I could be more bold with Sarah.

Miles was the target of a few of our jokes as the temperature continued dropping as we climbed. It was nice to be away from the constant training and business after the Gym battle, unlike the panic before hand. It was mainly because I felt exhausted after so much training, but it was also due to Akuma. I didn't want to injure her after just a day in the battle. Walking was fine.

We reached the peak after almost a full hour of climbing. Snow blanketed the cap and we sunk down about 4 centimeters. Akuma loathed it and melted it with puffs of fire, while Yami practically pranced in the snow. Sarah didn't seem to mind the snow, while I wished I could breath fire like Akuma.

"Just look at the view," Sarah basically screamed into the air, listening to the echoes. "Doesn't it just make you wanna fly?"

"Yeah, not really. Jumping off a cliff doesn't sound fun. Maybe with something like a glider or a Pokemon, then we're talking."

"Screw you, you know what I meant." Giving me a playful shove and I fell backwards. Beginning to slide downwards, I grabbed onto Akuma and Sarah's outstretched hand. Both of them fell down beside me, but we weren't sliding anymore. With Sarah directly to my side, I felt the blood rush to my face. Before we both started laughing, we turned to face each other and bumped noses.

"Well, that was scary. Let's not push each other while on a snowy mountain, huh?" Sarah brushed the snow out of her hair and clothes. "And we should probably find a way down, too."

"Remember, you're the one who pushed me," I said with a grin. Laying a hand on Akuma, I found her to be quite warm to the touch, more than normal, and I worried about her health. Still, she was breathing fire, so I was mildly cautious.

"Alright. Last look around. Come 'ere." Dragging me by my hand, Sarah stood beside me, before stepping to the side. I looked at her for a moment, but I wanted to take in the scenery; Down below, there were several trees in the crevices of the mountains. The other peaks around us were taller and some formed a bridge between two peaks. A thin blanket of snow covered every mountain. It was pretty amazing. "Wow."

"Hey, I thought you were Snowpoint," I poked at her side while asking. "You're supposed to be used to this kind of weather and stuff."

"Maybe I just appreciate it more, being used to it." Sarah was dead serious, her voice almost flat. Yami was returned and Sarah started down the other side of the slope. Suddenly confused with whatever the hell just happened, I followed Sarah and had Akuma follow.

"Sarah, wait up!" I jumped down to catch up. Akuma simply ran down the slope, following my feet. Sarah looked back at me but she didn't say anything. Not until I was right next to her, when she burst out laughing.

"You should've seen your face," she exclaimed through her gasps. "You! You thought I'd gotten all offended and- and got all freaked out!" She continued to laugh while I facepalmed. I kept falling for this crap and I'd definitely lose to Miles. Groaning into the palm of my hand, I followed her while she continued down the path.

I tried to be a joking person with Sarah, but sometimes she was just so much better at humor than I was. She was playful and joking for the first time in a long time, but it faded faster than I'd hoped. It was almost a blessing to disturb the silence after three hours of hiking when Miles landed with his Pidgeotto. His bird looked very exhausted after the four hours of flying. It honestly looked like it would drop at any moment. Miles landed hard on a nearby ridge and stumbled off of Silverwings.

"That was exciting. That's the furthest I've ever pushed Silverwings. I'm glad to see he could make it." He grinned as he returned Silverwings. I noticed his legs were shaking, but he looked pretty confident as he walked up to us. That, or drunk. His nose and ears were bright red and he was shivering, even with his coat.

"So, what'd you see," I questioned, curious of the dragons.

"There wasn't much to see, but I did see some of the battle scenes from the fights. Pretty safe to say the battles over, but I didn't see Ascalon or the Hydreigon. Just a bunch of burnt rocks and craters." After giving the report, Miles dropped to the ground to stop his shaking legs. Sarah and I joined him on rocks, and I pulled out a bag of dried berries to snack on.

"And did you take any pictures or proof of it? Any evidence we could submit?" Sarah inched forward with every word.

"Oh. I might have forgotten to do that. Whoops!" With his damned charismatic grin, he smiled at Sarah. "Forgive me?"

"...Fine. But if you're going to go back, make sure you get at least ONE picture?"

.

Miles still filed a report to Jubilife News, and while it was accepted, the article was mixed in as an anonymous trainer. It ticked me off, as it was filed with all three of our names as a party, but at least it was mentioned, as Sarah reasoned. What made it worse was the next day, when a camera crew flew over on Fearow and documented the entire scene without even a hint of acknowledgement towards us in the slightest.

The mountains were a pain to traverse without a cave at first, but once we found a trail between the mountains, it started going faster. We also found it to be warmer inside the trees. Several Pokemon lived in the sparse woods, but it made for some tasty meals for us. It didn't help that we had to feed three humans and five Pokemon. The others could live off grasses and berries that were beginning to come out, or simply feed from the sun.

My new Roselia demonstrated more power than before, but when I let him out for the first time after the gym battle, he was depressed. He'd been beaten, even after evolving, which was just rubbing salt in the wound. I did help him to train, but he usually sat out group training.

Group training was Miles' idea. He devised a game to play, similar to Pidgey. Each Pokemon would use a ranged attack and attempt to hit the other, while the other dodged. Akuma didn't understand it at first, and hit Miles' Ignis at full force with a headbutt. After a bit of coaching, she began to get the hang of it and used her fire breaths instead. Yami, Felix, and Akuma would sometimes pair up for physical attacks and sparring, though.

"Your Pokemon look pretty strong," Miles complimented. "But they don't seem very experienced. Especially that Zorua, though it's pretty impressive you caught one, and it even obeys you already. You said you caught it in Eterna Forest, right?" I nodded. "You should consider some real fighting." That's how our nightly sparring started.

Miles seemed more competent with Pokemon that either Sarah or I, and usually gave great advice, but he was also very absent-minded. After spending almost a week with him in the mountains, it became obvious of that. I still ground my gears with him, but I didn't really do anything to him. Just gritting my teeth or clenching my fist was enough for the anger to pass. Though sometimes I wished I could punch him whenever he moved closer to Sarah around the fire.

Once we started descending the slopes again, Miles took his Pidgeotto out more and flew around to 'scout' as he said. There was a few twinges of jealousy, but I knew I could have an even stronger flying beast than he could ever have. A Hydreigon would definitely beat a measly Pidgeot.

We also started encountering more people, trainers usually, as we got closer to Celestic City. Akuma enjoyed the fights, and Felix quickly took Thorn's place of fighting, since he was unwilling to fight for me. Besides that, Felix could use his Dark Pulse with some scary force. I might have had Akuma and Yami as dark Pokemon, but Zorua and their illusions and ranged attacks felt different.

It also put the money in my pocket. Usually. I did suffer two losses, in which I wagered a whole thousand Pokedollars in one.

Down the route, we checked our maps for anything nearby, but Celestic City was ahead. After the mountains, it only took 3 days of battling and walking to reach the next source of civilization. It was a good rule of thumb that the better the roads got, the closer you got to the next city.

"How many have you two fought so far," I asked as we tried to decide who would fight the next trainer. We'd faced enough that we were able to lose count. Since there was only one, only one of us could fight, and the kid gave us the choice in picking. It ended up being Sarah, who practically swaggered up with her Pokeball in hand.

Sammy was her first up against a Tranquill, so it was hardly a fair match. When Sammy was knocked down, he had been able to deal some damage, but not enough. Yami helped finish up the battle with his ice claws and speed. When the trainer sent out another bird, the outcome was already decided. The Staravia dropped pretty quickly.

The Machoke that came out next was a bit of a problem for a Sneasel to handle, but Sarah was able to deal some damage and finish up with Perry. It was a close win, but it was a pretty good fight. I could tell she has definitely gotten stronger since Oreburgh. Miles had also shown his power over the week we'd been traveling together. He'd proven his friendly and true intentions, so my distrust in him was beginning to lessen, but his moves on Sarah still angered me.

With the mountains still visible behind, and trees around the route, we couldn't see Celestic City until is was already right in front of us. "Woah, this place is awesome!" Sarah immediately tried to run to one of the flashy shops, but I stopped her by grabbing her bag. "Aww... Party killer."

"Wait up a sec. We should figure out what we're doing first, before running off to who-knows-where. Then we can meet back up at the Pokemon Center."

"Fine, but I'm not going with you. Or you."

"I've got plans to check out the ruins around here, too. Sorry, Kael, but I guess you're on your own. And I'll see _you_ ," Miles charismatically said, cupping Sarah's chin. "Later. Chao!"

"What about you, Sarah," I questioned, as Miles walked down the sidewalk. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'll be fine on my own. Now let go of me, Dragon Boy!" Struggling against me, I gave up and dropped her bag.

"Well, I guess I'll be exploring on my own. Ugh, that sounds sad."

"See ya!" Sarah ran down the street and I was left on my lonesome. In a city I'd never been to before. Man, this sucks. Sighing, I opened my PokeDex. Navigating the streets with a map wasn't the hardest thing, as I'd done it several times before. Looking at the buildings, I was half expecting there to be a gym for me to fight. Instead, it was a bunch of shrines and temples, as well as the flip side with casinos or bars at ever intersection.

In it's own unique way, Celestic City was a wild mirror of it's self. Something akin to a Yin and Yang symbol, the city held it's own balance. I liked the place for the feeling it had, having made a cool discovery, but at the same time, the streets were not very welcoming to a traveling person like me. I felt the eyes of several people staring at me, making me uncomfortably shift my bag around.

"Good Arceus, young man," one robed man suddenly exclaimed. "You look exhausted after your long travels! Wouldn't it be nice to take a long rest on one of the pews inside our church?" Looking past the man, I saw a church behind him, one to worship the 'miracles of Arcues' or something.

"Uh-"

"You still going at it, you ass?!" Suddenly, a woman threw a punch to the holy man's face. He dropped pretty quickly, and the woman grabbed my arm. "You alright, kid? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, I'm fine, I guess, but who are you?" Dropping my arm, the lady stood in front of me and saluted. I instantly recognized the emblem on her uniform of the Ranger Corps.

"I'm Lieutenant Rosa, and my partner detaining that conman back there is Corporal Morgan. We've been watching this man for an hour now, and while it is harsh of us to say, you were something of bait to draw him out again. Thank you for your cooperation." Turning back to the scene, the Lieutenant walked back and pulled the now handcuffed and gagged man to his feet before leaving.

"Wait!" I ran after the two Ranger Officers. "What's going on? What did this guy do exactly?" The Corporal looked to his superior for an answer, who looked back before telling me.

"I'm sorry, civilian. I can't divulge the details of our case, but I can tell you this; you'd be a lot worse off if you'd allowed this man to drug you." With that, the Rangers carried the man off, who was fairly silent, but I thought I could see a smile from behind the gag before they suddenly teleported away with a small popping noise.

Confused as ever, I stood there trying to figure out what had just happened. A new set of Rangers teleported back to the scene with an Espeon walking beside them. They quickly entered the church with their pistols raised. Something had to be happening, but I had nothing to do with it, so I stepped back from the church.

Somehow, I wound up at the Pokemon Center, still thinking of the Rangers and what had just happened. I must have been thinking pretty hard, because when Miles found me, he had to snap his fingers in front of me to get my attention.

"Hey, I asked if you'd already eaten. You look worried." Smiling up at him, I said I was fine. "Well, let's go and get something for dinner. And text Sarah to let her know where we're going." Holding out his hand, Miles helped me stand.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see. By the way, I have to ask. What's got you so spooked? You look like you've either seen something horrible, or something you think is really cool. Or something you don't understand?"

"It's nothing. I just saw a crime scene with the Rangers. It's fine, so don't worry about it." Honestly, the guns freaked me out. I didn't hear the sound of gunfire, but it must have been serious to require guns. Just what could have been happening to require firearms?

"Man, that must have been crazy to see the Rangers in action. They didn't question you or anything, did they?"

"Nah, they were just arresting some guy. Apparently, he'd been drugging people or something. I didn't get the whole story, but they raided the place. Don't worry about it. Sorry if I've been worrying you. Just forget it." Miles accepted it, because he shut up promptly after that. He just lead the way to a restaurant he'd apparently saw on the way.

Feeling my PokeDex buzzing, I saw Sarah had replied, saying she'd agreed to be meeting at the address Miles had given to me. While the two of us, both male, sat down at a table meant for four, we'd started to get funny looks already. It really set an awkward mood, even in a cheap restaurant like this.

"Alright. What are we eating?" Sarah dropped down into the seat furthest from either of us.

After a quick dinner, I told Sarah what I'd seen. She was surprised when I told her they'd had guns drawn. She prodded me for more information, but I'd already told her I everything I knew. Giving up, she simply suggested we go sneak into a club or drink without showing our licences. To which I was adamant about denying her.

In the end, we spent our night getting some ice cream and hanging out in an arcade. I might have thought I was good at games before, but Sarah mopped the floor with us after winning the most tickets out of all of us. Once we cashed in our tickets, I bought a small cheap Plusle plushie. Sarah got a small kids toy shaped like a car. Pushing it kept it going, and she seemed to enjoy annoying both Miles and me with it. Miles wasn't interested in toys, but got his money back after giving up his tickets.

We crashed in our rooms, being almost midnight already. I was tired enough that I didn't check the messages on my Dex. By the time the sun was coming through the windows, right into my face, I realized I'd fallen asleep. Stretching, I stumbled around the room and washed up before deeming myself ready.

Sitting in the lobby were four trainers were watching the news while I went into the cafeteria. The lady behind the counter wasn't very talkative, so I settled for the bowl of oatmeal she gave me. Walking back into the lobby, I sat in one of the armchairs and watched along with the rest of the trainers.

"-and they recovered at least a dozen trainers' Pokemon. The church the criminals took over was retaken by the Rangers and further investigations will be looked into. Barry, how's the weather out there?"

"Well, Aria, the skies above the west coast are mostly cloudy, with some..." I began to think of what I'd only gotten a glimpse of yesterday. Who were these criminals, and why were they stealing Pokemon? What could be worse than that, when you could just as easily catch or purchase one?

.

Meanwhile, in a hidden location...

"So, now that we've been caught, we need to announce ourselves as something really scary. Anyone got any suggestion?" About two dozen Team Members sat around a table in an underground cave.

"How about Team Dragons?"

"Weak, mate." "Boring." "Can I take a bathroom break?"

"Joe, go ahead." The member named Joe stood up and walked out of the room. "Now, some REAL name suggestions?"

"Maybe Team Tangerine?"

"Oh, that one sounds better." "Scarier, but could be better." "When do we get to the real Team name?"

"Guys, it would help if you weren't faffing around, and actually helped us come up with names! Arceus, you guys aren't being useful!"

"Well, what about Team Steve? Ooh, just scared myself..."

"No!" The main grunt slammed his hand down on the table. "Stop messing around and actually help me come up with names!"

.

We spent three days in Celestic City, and more incidents of crime popped up over the days. People were afraid it was Team Galactic was making a return after the centuries, having said to have originated in Celestic City. However, when they announced over a video their name of Team Vortex.

While their name was almost a joke at first, as most people were laughing at their cheesy presentation and emblem, but once they began hitting hard and actually evading the Rangers, and capture, the laughing began to fade and people started to get scared. The threat of a new Team Galactic was scary enough. Now that they were serious, it was even worse.

"Man, it's turned all cold and stuff all the sudden. Not temperature, but the mood, I mean." Sarah rubbed her arms like she was cold, but she was only wearing a t-shirt and Pokemon Center sweats. The lounge was warm enough, but everyone else just nervously fidgeted in the warm place of relaxation.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I groaned, with my outfit matching Sarah's and Miles'. We sat around our table, with soft drinks on the table. "You know what? I think I've had enough of this sort of thing. It's a good thing the Rangers have stepped up their game, though. Good to know they're getting used to these Vortex people. They're still a threat, but at least they're getting pushed back. They even say Leader Harron and the Champion are trying to find them."

"But how are they escaping capture," Miles asked, just like everyone else had been. Rangers had found their hideouts several times, but they simply switched too often and too randomly to be found. Everyone knew that, from the reports and news.

"So, what do you guys think we get back on the road. Besides, it's not like we have any more time left at the Pokemon Center anyways, unless we feel like paying."

"I was about to suggest the same thing," Sarah exclaimed. "I think we've stayed our welcome, mainly because I don't feel like paying up." Grinning, the three of us tossed our fee up on the table and left the lounge. We spent some time back at the Pokemon Center, retrieving our clothes and bags.

Quickly departing was our only wish. We were lucky enough to get a straight shot towards the exit. It was a gleeful thing to see, the gate to the wilderness, until two Rangers halted us. "Sorry, just need to see some identification." Showing our Dexes, as well as proof our Pokemon were ours, we were allowed to pass.

The sheer fact we had to even go through with it anyways was enough to know things were changing, and fast. Probably not for the better, either.

* * *

 **Yes, I did come up with the name Ascalon after Final Fantasy. It might sound a bit unoriginal, but it seemed fitting in my head. Also, Miles got me into the mood for mythology and stuff, and I gave him a Vulpix with the Latin word of FIRE and a bird named SILVERWINGS?! Yeah, totally unoriginal. My style, huh? I get that a lot, now that I think of it.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, even after the looong time it took for me to get my shit together for it. Be sure to leave a review, and share with those one friends who like a good, long story. Well, maybe not good, but better than some of the other crap out there.**

 **Last thing, I've been thinking of Remaking my Blades of Alliance story, but I'm not entirely sure. If I do post it, I'll let you know. Auf wiedersehen!**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Budew

Felix - Zorua

 **Pokemon in Preparation:**

Fuzzball - Pachirisu

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr;** **SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedene

Yami - Sneasel

Sammy - Shroomish

 **Trainer: Miles Samson; JO836GR3F4**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Ignis - Vulpix

Silverwings - Pidgeotto


	12. Capital of Sinnoh

**Well, well, well. I guess I'm getting into the dangerous stuff. I didn't really know how to introduce the bad guys, and I don't really think it was the best, but I liked that comedy bit. My friends helped me come up with the name.**

 **After this, I think I'll be skipping some of the traveling more and more, because you've already seen the gist of it. I'll try to make it as interesting as possible, so not entirely poofed. But it'll make room for more interesting things, like violence, danger, and other things.**

 **Be sure to tell me stuff in the reviews!**

* * *

The lack of other people was both a blessing and a curse. There was no one complaining, but there was no new conversations. Sarah and Miles were fine, but we didn't have much to talk about anymore. Any stories, we'd already heard. Any rumors, we already knew. And none of us were in the mood for jokes.

Still, the silence wasn't all bad. Akuma seemed to enjoy the sounds of the wild. Of course, she still couldn't enter towns with me.

Thorn was still fairly down about his loss two weeks prior, but he began participating in training with us, after watching for so long. Felix was also making progress to understand me, and it seemed Akuma was helping him learn. At the same time, it looked like Felix was trying to teach Akuma Dark Pulse, but she was still struggling to do so. Her Thunder Wave technique was something she knew, and was similar, but she still couldn't produce the same results with Dark Pulse.

Felix couldn't understand Thunder Wave, and even though Akuma could potentially use Dark Pulse, he showed no ability to use the technique. Similar to how only Felix could create an illusion, the two each could only learn their own unique moves. With Thorn, it was a bit different.

The TM I got from Leader Harron, which was labeled as Grass Knot, I found out could be taught to all, Zorua, Roselia, and Deino, so I taught it to Thorn. He was my only grass type, after all. Once the TM was stripped of it's data, I tossed the useless disc over my shoulder and the only thing I could hope for was that Thorn would be willing to teach it as well as learn it. It could be useful for move diversity.

Miles and Sarah also taught the TMs from Chelsea, but neither Ignis or Pidgeot could learn Grass Knot, so he just gave the disc to Sarah. She taught the move to both Perry and Sammy, making it easier to teach to my own Pokemon. And after seeing the move in action, it was a great move to have.

The user is either able to manipulate the nature around them, or grow vines to slice the opponent's feet out from underneath it. While I wasn't exactly sure how Felix and Akuma would learn it, Perry knew how to manipulate the surrounding nature to trip up his enemies, as seen in demonstration a few days after learning the move.

The path to the next town was not the most pleasant, often times being overcast or drizzling. The valley that designated the borders of Route 211. Mist often drifted down off the mountains and covered the trees with water, often making it similar to rain.

"Couldn't we have bought an umbrella," Sarah complained as we trudged through the mud while rain continued to pour down. Thorn and Sammy were content with the rain, and Akuma didn't really mind, but Ignis and Silverwings were the most annoyed by the poor weather. Miles shared his discomfort, though he had no Pokeball to hide in.

"It's just a little rain. You can stand letting your makeup run, since we've both seen you without." I didn't like the rain any more than she did, but I couldn't let it show. Sarah huffed angrily at me, but kept silent.

"Still, this is miserable. We've barely had any battles since we left Celestic, and the only thing we've really eaten is berries and a few Zigzagoon or Sentret. It's just not the time to be out in the wild."

"Miles, we've been through this. It's not any better flying back to Celestic. I doubt your Pidgeotto would enjoy it any more than you would." Advancing through the weathering, we were making out way towards Solaceon town. It was strange to think there wasn't any gym battle in Solaceon, but Hearthome did. Which was why we took it slower, taking two breaks during the day to train and spar.

"I've been holding off asking you this, but I need to know something. You said you began Pokemon training about half a year ago, right? So I have to ask; Where are you going, Kael?"

"Well, to Hearthome, to challenge the-"

"No, that's not what I mean! I mean, what are you heading towards? What are you going to become?"

"The champion, of course. Just like everyone else. Why do you think I've been trying to beat the gyms?" Miles scoffed at my declaration.

"Too many have made that stupid mistake. You hear about it every year, during the Champion's Trials, the young trainer's Pokemon and sometimes even the trainers themselves die. Do you honestly think everyone just charges in blindly like that, with death right over the horizon? Sure, people do pass the gyms within a year. But no one just simply challenges the champion. Not unless they have a death wish. Many people see the champion's power and give up after that. Then, they become breeders, Rangers, and other things. You should know, you've already seen them yourself. So, where are you going?" Sarah nodded in agreement.

"I've never thought of really becoming the champion myself," Sarah admitted, while I was stunned by Miles' speech. "Even if I did think it would be cool, and I do want to be a trainer for as long as I can, but becoming something as big as champion... I don't really want to have that title."

"I still stand by my choice," I blurted out. Miles looked at me with a curious eye, listening for my reason. Honestly, I didn't have one. But that didn't mean I couldn't make one. "I don't care if it's hard. Everyone else had a heads start on me. That's why I need to work hard to become champion, to show them I'm the best."

"You're hopeless. Still, I did agree to travel with you because I wanted to see that Deino of yours closer. You both seemed nice, and I knew it might even be beneficial. But if you are only going to be chasing after hopeless dreams, count me out."

"Who said it was hopeless? Just because we aren't close to the level of the champion, that doesn't mean I can't catch up." Akuma roared, as if to punctuate my statement. That is, until a Quagsire attacked us.

"Ignis won't be of any use... Go, Silverwings!"

"And Perry can't hurt it, so it's all up to you, Sammy and Yami!"

"Thorn, let's go! You got this, it'll be easy." While Thorn was more interested in training, I was afraid he'd be hesitant to fight again. Luckily, it seemed Thorn was about ready to get back into the fray, using Absorb on the Quagsire.

The Quagsire must have thought it could get the drop on us while we were distracted, but with even with the disadvantaged odds we had didn't mean much when we outnumbered the opposite party.

"This is why I hate this place," Sarah complained, mud covering her clothes.

.

We fought several more Pokemon along the way. The Route might have held some of the weaker Pokemon, but there were a few that were pretty strong. They were easy to take down in a team, but if it was solo, it would probably be as strong as another trainer's Pokemon.

We were making steady progress through the valley, but training really slowed us down. Training was important, if course, but I was getting impatient with our pace. For two days, I decided to walk faster.

"Is it just me, or is it getting a bit chilly." Sarah seemed to be shivering, and her chattering teeth were getting annoying, but I felt fine in the sunlight. It was getting right into the middle of April, making it strange that Sarah, out of the three of us she was the most cold-resistant, would be cold.

"Are you getting sick," Miles asked, carefully measuring the temperature of her forehead and checking her pulse. "Hm. You don't feel very warm. You pulse seems a little weak, too and your skins a bit pale."

"So, is she sick, Doc?"

"I'm not a doctor, but it cold just be the flu. Still, I think it would be best to hurry to Solaceon. I don't want to take any risks. Besides, she probably needs her rest." Miles tried to pick her up, but Sarah rejected the offer.

"I'll be fine. Like you said, it's probably just a flu or a cold. Let's just keep going." Sarah attempted to hide her condition, but once I saw what Miles meant, I noticed her paler skin. Was it always that white?

"Well, if you can keep going, we should hurry quickly to Solaceon," I decided, setting a slower pace, just for Sarah. We knew we were several kilometers out from Solaceon, probably two or three days of travel, or a week with training. We would be there soon.

"Sarah!" Turning around, I saw Sarah had fallen and she was clutching her chest. Running over, I heard she was groaning and breathing shallowly.

"What's wrong with her!?" I tried to look at her, but Sarah curled into the fetal position and seemed to be in pain. What was going on?

"Do you have any medicine for her? Anything for pain or something? Alcohol?" Miles began looking through his bag, even though he'd asked me for the medicine.

"I-I'll be f-fine!" Looking at Sarah, she'd sat up, but she still gripped her shirt and was sweating profusely.

"No, you need rest and a doctor. This is something serious." Miles shushed her, before picking her up on his arms. "C'mon, Kael. Let's get going. And call the Rangers." Following his orders, I pulled out my Dex and dialed the number.

"Hello," a man answered. "This is the Rangers. What do you need to report?"

"We've got a sick girl with us, and she needs treatment."

"Hey," Sarah managed to say from Miles' arms. "I t-told you, urgh! I'll b-be f-fine."

"Please send us your Trainer ID so that we can track your location. The Rangers medical staff should be preparing for your coordinates."

"My trainer ID is SI863FL239, name is Kael Lorano."

"Thank you. Rangers should arrive within twenty five minutes, so please holdhold out until then. I'm sorry it can't be sooner." Dropping the call, I checked on Sarah. Her temperature had flipped to burning hot and she was almost paper white. Something wasn't right.

"Wh-ere a-are we?"

"We're getting close to Solaceon. Rangers have been dispatched to make sure you're taken care of, so don't worry," Miles reassured her. We were almost running by this point, trying to get closer to the Rangers who were coming to our location.

"C-can Dragon Boy c-arry m-me," she asked. Her voice was quieter, and she still clutched at her chest. Miles looked at me, then down at her, before nodding. Stepping closer, I tried to hold her as Miles had, but he was much stronger than I was.

"Sarah, I'm going to need you to hold on to me," I asked her. She nodded, shaking. After Miles agreed to take my pack, he set her down, though she was having a hard time standing on her shaking legs. Breathing, I was ready.

A heavy blush covered my face when she jumped onto my back. Her chest was pressing hard against my back, but I kept my calm. Grabbing her legs while she wrapped her arms around my neck, I carried her piggyback towards Solaceon.

"You k-know, it's st-range. I d-didn't know you w-were this s-strong."

"Please, save your strength," I told her, looking back.

"It's f-fine. T-turn your head a l-little more." rotating to my necks maximum, I saw Sarah's blue eyes right in front of mine, her lips against mine. Like I'd short circuited, I just blinked at her until she fell against my back. She was still breathing, but I was just shocked.

"S-Sarah?"

"She's just sleeping. We should hurry." Miles didn't look directly at me, but I knew he was right. Soon enough, a large Staraptor and an Altaria touched down on the Route and two Rangers hopped off. "Recall your Pokemon! All of them!" I oblidged and returned Akuma, and Miles recalled Ignis from his shoulder.

"Are you Kael Lorano," one asked me. I nodded. "Let us see the girl. We'll do what we can." The two Rangers took Sarah off my back and took her over to the Altaria and Staraptor to inspect her. They seemed to be talking to each other, but Miles and I couldn't hear them. Sarah was lying between them while they tried to figure out what was wrong with her.

"Okay," one of the Ranger confirmed as he walked closer. "We've decided what is making your friend sick. It seems like she's cursed. Did she have any contact with any ghost or dark Pokemon in the past 24 hours?" Thinking back, I couldn't think of any times we'd fought against a ghost Pokemon, but we had three dark Pokemon between us. Could one of them being cursing us?

"Sir, I myself am carrying two dark Pokemon. A Zorua and a Deino. Sarah has a Sneasel. Could they have been the ones cursing her?"

"If it's under your control, I don't believe it would curse one of your teammates. Still, a Deino? You should still be cautious with those things. We've got enough trouble with an enraged Haxorus. We don't need an enraged Hydreigon up there either, though I guess we already do. Anyways, you did well to call us, because your friend requires immediate attention. Something the two of us can't administer here."

"Wait, what does that mean," Miles questioned, speaking up. "Are you going to take her away? Is she really in that bad of a condition?"

"I'm sorry, kids. I understand you and your friend have been traveling together for a while, but we're going to take her to Solaceon's Rangers headquarters. There, we can meet up with the professionals to help deal with it." The Ranger turned back to mount his Altaria.

"So, none of us can come with you?"

"I can only take two of you, and one of them is already your friend. I doubt you'd want to leave the other behind, so I'd suggest you both stay put." The Ranger strapped Sarah into the saddle behind him before doing the same to himself.

"Wait, you have a Pidgeotto, Miles? Couldn't you fly with that?"

"Kid, don't try it! Pidgeotto are too weak to fly very far, much less with a passenger. It'd be pointless!" Both the Staraptor and Altaria ascended with Sarah on the bird. Groaning, I grabbed my bag from Miles and pulled it onto my back. The feeling of Sarah against my back, and when she'd kissed me with those fevered lips. Missing her was half of it, and I wanted to know the other half. My head was swimming, and I didn't know how to deal with the emotions in there.

Miles kept to himself for most of the time, so it was pretty quiet for the rest of the day. Once night fell, we pitched the camp and ate a simple meal hunted by our Pokemon. Being without Yami and Perry, hunting and foraging became more difficult. Still, we managed to find enough food for the both of us. Afterwards, we nodded before heading to our respected bed area, me to my tent, him to his blankets.

I still felt bad about not giving Miles a shelter, but since he hadn't said a thing yet so I didn't say anything either. As such, I was able to get to sleep fairly well each night.

The same cycle of training and traveling passed four days by pretty quickly, though training time was fairly cut down due to our rush to see Sarah again. It was our main focus anyways, and with the risk of curses around, it was another reason to hurry towards Solaceon.

We didn't get any calls or messages from the Rangers or Sarah about the whole thing our entire way, so Miles and I were fairly concerned. Pokemon came out in the sunlight and attacked us, and even more so in the rain. At night, it was mostly calm, though the occasional Pokemon would wander too close. All in all, I was worried.

.

Solaceon was different than I'd heard from my parents. They'd said the place was full of wackos and inbred degenerates, who had happened to pick up a plow. But now that I entered the gates, those warnings were only half true. Several street hawkers were standing on the sides of the streets, calling out to anyone who passed and urged them to purchase charms and salts.

"Solaceon? More like 'Sell-all-ceon". Look at this place, it's filthy." Miles punctuated that by kicking an empty beer can into the gutter. A few people glared at him, but we just walked along the road. "Where is that stupid headquarters of theirs? Why can't the Rangers just put it in somewhere everyone can find it?"

"Just use your map," I breathed, following the route from my Dex. We rounded corners and crossed several streets to wind up in front of a concrete building. The emblem of Sinnoh and the Rangers hung above the door, indicating it was the property of the League. This was where we'd see Sarah again after four days, so of course I was nervous.

"What is your business here," one of the Rangers questioned, serious and formal. Miles and I stepped into the compound, only to be questioned by the Rangers. "Please, if you have an appointment, submit it here."

"Uh, a friend of ours was brought here a few days ago, and we wanted to see her. Is she alright?"

"One moment," the young Ranger saluted us before stepping into another room. Before the door snapped shut, I heard a woman address the Ranger as Private Daniels. Then it was silent, not a Ranger to be heard. Looking around, the walls only held news articles of famous events and deeds done by this outpost.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting. Might I see your PokeDexes for proof of your identities?" The Private, as well as a woman, exited the office. The woman was much older than I'd expected, by my estimate around forty. Miles and I extracted our Dexes as instructed and handed them over.

"Thank you, Private Daniels. You may step aside. I believe this matter falls under my jurisdiction now. Lorano and Samson, huh? Those sound like good soldier names... Anyways, you inquired about a friend. Would this one happen to have been the cursed girl?" I nodded enthusiastically. "My apologies, but she isn't here. You'll most likely have to find her at either the hospital or one of those laboratories."

"So... She isn't here? Is she alright?"

"While I do not know her current condition myself, I can assure you she is alive. Otherwise, I'd have been given a full report and be forced to attend a funeral, as the blood would be on the Ranger's hands." So, she was measuring her condition based on the amount of paperwork she's done?!

"Thank you," Miles quickly stated. Bowing quickly, he rushed out the door, back onto the streets. Following suit, I bowed and thanked the Ranger woman before running to catch up with Miles.

"Hey, wait up. You don't know where you're going, and we still don't know where Sarah is. Just wait up and let's think this through!" My hand wrapped around Miles' arm and stopped him. "Why are you in a rush?"

"You wouldn't understand. I just... I guess I feel responsible for this, the curse and everything? I want to meet up with Sarah as soon as possible, so I can apologize to her. We could have stopped this if we'd have been more aware. Don't you see where I'm coming from?"

"I'm sure Sarah would say the same, but it wasn't your fault. The best we can do is help her now, rather than worrying about the past. Four days or four minutes, there's no need to try and change what's already happened."

"You know, you sound like my dad. And I hate that. But I get it. I know what you're saying." Miles took a deep breath and brushed some of his messy hair out of his face. "How are you so calm about this? Sarah is in danger, and yet you haven't really shown any anger or sadness."

"You're wrong," I spat out, having heard the same thing in movies and books. "Of course I feel. I just don't think it's worth it to do anything else. She makes me worry, of course, but she'll also probably be fine. If she's still alive and cursed, that means the Pokemon isn't planning to kill her yet, milking her for life. But if she's not, she'll be alright. No rushing will change that any time soon." Sighing, I wandered over to a restaurant. The western-style place looked good enough, and I was hungry.

The food was different than the usual Sinnoan food I was used to. It was pretty tasty and I enjoyed it, though Miles wasn't in the mood for eating. I didn't press him to eat, but he was the one to order it. He simply poked at his plate and stared at the steak.

"Why are we just eating? We could be helping Sarah or something, yet you're doing nothing!"

"I'm hungry, and how are we going to help anyways? I have no idea how a curse works, and even if I do want a ghost type, that means nothing. I don't know how they work. I don't know what good seeing her will do. And I'm also a little scared to see her anyways." Dropping my utensils, I finished my meal and stood up. I'd already paid, so I had no reason to stay. With Miles and his attitude, I definitely didn't want to stay.

Alone, I wandered around Solaceon and explored the town. Nothing was very interesting, other than the more rural lifestyle the place had. Surprisingly, there weren't as many religious or monumental sites as I expected, seeing as almost every city had them. It was a strange town, to say the least.

I was no stranger to being alone, but after having spent so much time with Sarah and Miles, it seemed different. It was more of a fight between whether or not I wanted to talk to somebody. With Miles and his criticism, I didn't want to talk to him, and Sarah wasn't here anyways. I could go to the Hospital and check on her there, but I didn't want to talk to her yet. Not after what had happened before she was taken.

No one really wanted to talk to a stranger like me, someone who was fresh out of the wild. I didn't really present the opportunity either, since I simply walked down the street, my teeth biting into my knuckle. All I could do is replay the scene I'd last seen Sarah, right before the Altaria and Staraptor had taken off.

It wasn't until I felt something dripping off my fingertip that I actually realized where I was. Looking up from my bleeding hand, I saw a white Hospital in front of me. Had I come here subconsciously? No, I'd never come to the hospital before. Why was I here? Shaking my head, I refused to enter and started wandering off to the right.

A few minutes later, I glanced to the side and found myself pacing in front of the hospital, blood still dripping off my finger from my gnawing. Giving up was the best I could do, so I stepped through the doors and evaluated the place. Clean, white, and crowded.

"Uh, we have a situation! We've got someone here who's bleeding. Please get a nurse to the lobby." A girl in a white nurse uniform grabbed my arm and dragged me to a back room. "Please wait here, we'll patch up your hand in a moment." Suddenly, I was alone in a hospital room with a bleeding hand. What happened? After a few minutes, a new nurse walked in.

"Hello, sir. Oh, let me see your hand now." The lady took off my bag and sat me down onto the examination table. She looked over my hand and began wiping it down with an antiseptic wipe. "Were you the one to cause this cut?" Looking down at my hand, I saw teeth marks on the knuckle.

"That was me," I admitted, wincing at the sting.

"Self cannibalism is not healthy. It can also lead to infections and scarring. If you need to see a councilor or something, or do I need to put a cone on your head?"

"I'm fine. I was just nervous and bit myself. I'm sorry for the trouble, though." I wanted to pull my hand back, but the nurse had it held pretty tightly. She quickly sprayed it and bandaged it before allowing me to stand up. Looking at my finger, I saw a metal band was keeping me from biting it. Sighing, I thanked her and left the room, before heading to the front counter.

"Hello, how may I help you," asked the nurse from before, the one who'd asked for my injuries to be healed. "Oh, how's your finger now?"

"It's fine," I answered, holding up my bound digit. "But that's not why I came here in the first place. I came for a girl, who was brought here for a curse?"

"A curse, you say? All you kids are so dangerous." The nurse began typing stuff into her computer. "What would this girl's name be?"

"Sarah O'Perr," I stated. The nurse rapidly typed in the name, before looking intently at whatever was on her screen.

"Okay, she should be on the third floor, but why would you want to see her? Is there something you need from her? If so, I'm sorry to say she's been resting for the past day or so. That's what her record says."

"She's my friend. I just wanted to talk to her, about what happened and all. What room on the third floor?"

"Well, I first need to see your PokeDex, and I also need your payment for your treatment. Which comes to a total of 950 Poke dollars." Almost choking, I was hesitant to fork over that amount of cash for a simple bandaging I didn't even need. After she checked my Dex, she nodded but didn't hand it back.

"You can visit your friend for five minutes. I'll escort you to her room." She stood up from behind the counter and placed a sign that read 'Please be patient'. Walking behind her, we climbed the stairs until the third floor. She walked down a hall and stopped in front of a room labeled as the 41 on the floor. "Now, please keep your voice down, as there are other patients and Sarah needs her rest if she's sleeping. Curses are serious."

I agreed to her terms and conditions with a nod and the nurse opened the door. There, on the bed, was Sarah with her eyes suddenly locking onto mine, looking much better than the last time I'd seen her. Her skin wasn't as colorful as usual, but it wasn't paper white. Cautious, I stepped into the room and walked over to the bedside. Sarah's eyes continued to follow me, and I also watched her. She didn't say anything, and I didn't know where to start. But I had to say something.

"So... Been a while, huh? I was worr-"

"You're late," Sarah cut me off. "I thought we agreed it would only take two days to get here. It's been more than that, so you're late."

"Well, sorry. I didn't know it would take a bit longer to get here."

"You're the one who's supposed to be good at maps and stuff, and that sounds like a you problem anyways."

"You're lucky I'm even here," Sighing, I dropped down into one of the chairs near the bed. This was not the reunion I'd been planning for. But maybe there was a chance to bring up what happened before she passed out? After all, it was her that kissed me. "So, how's it been in this dreary hospital room? Looks pretty boring."

"Doctors will be happy to hear I've been sleeping for the most part. Of it all, the only part I really remember was waking up in this room. Before that, I was apparently in some sort of coma from the curse draining me of energy." Sarah broke eye contact and looked out the window. "You probably don't want to hear about that, do you?"

"No, it's fine. I was actually going to ask you what's the last thing you remember?"

"The last thing I remember?" Sarah fell silent, her face deep in thought. "The last thing I remember is you carrying me, and then I blacked out. After that, the labs, and then this hospital." I expected her to remember at least kissing me, or flying, but from the lack of embarrassment in her cheeks, she didn't remember it.

"That's about right," I assured her. "You passed out right before the Rangers arrived." I hid my red ears by fluffing my hair over them. Sarah leaned back in her bed. Awkwardly, just sitting there, we didn't say much.

"Did I miss much," she asked, after those few moments of silence. I looked back, considering what she might've missed. I put on the look that I was thinking, but there wasn't anything of importance.

"No, I don't think we really did much, other than walking."

"Walking? You should have been running." I saw a small smile on her face and couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright, you've visited enough. You need to leave ms. O'perr to rest and recover. We'll call you if anything major happens." The nurse grabbed my arm and pulled me back out the door. But...

"Wait, I still have questions!"

"Save your questions and inquiries for another time. Visiting is closed now, thank you." Serious as a hospital should be, my five minutes were up. I would just have to wait, and patience is _not_ one of my virtues. Groaning, I followed the nurse to the lobby. My finger was a bit stiff and stung, but it wasn't as bad as the antiseptic. Rubbing it, I thanked the nurse before walking outside.

For the rest of the day, the weather turned to a more overcast sky. Bored, I was back to wandering. But I'd seen Sarah and I didn't need to stay in town. Miles wasn't my favorite person, and I didn't feel like talking to him anyways. If I even mentioned Sarah, he'd know I'd visited her. Of course, it's not like I had to stick around in town. Taking out my Pokeballs, I ran towards the gate of town.

.

Akuma roared after being released, and Felix and Thorn were ready for some action. When they found there wasn't an enemy, but instead simple training, they relaxed a bit. Then I ordered them to exercise their abilities, and most important was Akuma's and Felix's Grass Knot ability. Thorn was still trying to teach the other two how to properly use the ability, though Felix was making the most progress of the two.

I tried doing some exercises as well, doing some pushups and running. While I wanted to practice my Judo, I'd forgotten most of it except the most basic moves. My Dex could show some other workout methods could be better, I just went with running and pushups.

We practiced all day together, even until past sundown, which was getting later and later. A few people saw me in the field, as well as a single challenge. While it was close, I won without many injuries to my Pokemon. There wasn't much of a reward, since it wasn't my wager, but it did take a bit of a chunk off of the hospital cost.

By the time it was past eleven, Akuma, Thorn, Felix were exhausted and I was damn near my own limit. We'd taken a few breaks to be ready for round two, even though this was something like our eighth round. I could hardly lift my legs or arms much, and my gut hurt from holding myself horizontally. There wasn't much difference between me and my Pokemon, based on our breathing.

Dragging myself near a tree, I laid out my tent and expanded it before recalling Thorn and Felix. It wasn't the easiest thing, since I could hardly aim the ball, but I managed it after a few tries. And after rolling myself up in my blanket and simply sleeping on top of my sleeping bag and jacket, I was fast asleep.

The next three days were almost exactly the same as the first. I met with Miles every morning for breakfast, then to the hospital to visit the recovering Sarah. After some time in town, I would head out and mess around outside of town or train. Solaceon was not somewhere I really wanted to be, and I knew my Pokemon would need to be ever stronger, even as powerful as they were. Even if they were strong enough for now, it couldn't hurt to be stronger.

I sold my sellables and extras I had and bought some more supplies for the road the next day. It was enough to repay some of my lost money, but I was still feeling a bit thin for money. Akuma enjoyed the opportunities to run around outside her Pokeball in the fields around Solaceon more than when we usually went into towns. I wish I could bring her into town too, but that would have to wait until Hearthome and the third badge.

It wasn't until the fourth day that Sarah was discharged, though she'd probably been eligible for more than a few days. As soon as I received the text that she'd been released, I wolfed down breakfast and ran to the hospital. At the entrance was Sarah in her normal not-hospital clothes, impatiently glaring at me.

"About time you got here. And where is Miles? He's late!" Sarah puffed her cheeks in anger. Thinking about it, I hadn't seen Miles earlier either, since we usually met up at either the Pokemon Center for breakfast. If he wasn't coming to meet Sarah, where was he?

"I'll message him, then we can go beat him up. He should already know you've been discharged from the hospital." I typed out a short text to Miles, before turning back to Sarah. "C'mon then. Let's go look around. Then we can leave Solaceon for Hearthome."

"Hey, wait! What about me? I've been stuck in a hospital bed for almost week! I deserve some time to go sightseeing." I groaned audibly.

"Fine," I answered, feigning reluctance. "But let's do that now then. Miles is late, so he doesn't get to. How's that?"

"Great! Then let's go! To the shopping mall!"

"They don't have a mall here. Or a shopping center."

"Whaaat!?" Sarah was put out there wasn't a mall, but she still ended up buying a keychain and a new Net ball. I was surprised she could afford to buy it, but since I could buy it myself, it wasn't much of a surprise. She always had her money burning a hole in her pocket. I didn't do much other than simply walking with her. It was during lunch that Sarah started to switch off of history and what she was looking at to Pokemon.

"It sucks to be stuck in a boring room and told to sleep. I couldn't train with my Pokemon, but they did feed them for me. I guess that helped. Seriously, Yami and Sammy were soo bored in there." We were sitting in a small fast food restaurant, eating Miltank burgers and fries with shakes. Quick the western meal by my standards.

"I've wondered why you had to spend so long in the hospital though. You probably could have gotten out the first day I visited you."

"I could show you, but I think it might take a bit more time before I'm ready to." I was suspicious about the way she said it, my mind turning to surgery scars, but that couldn't be. She never had surgery, so I was dumbfound at her reason. She'd been fine every day I'd gone to visit her, so it couldn't have been surgery.

"Well, I won't ask you to show me all your secrets, but can't you at least tell me why?"

"No, I don't want to spoil it. I'll show you later. But for now, eat up! Then we can go out and fight! I want a real rematch." Sarah picked up her burger and began eating again. I almost dropped my shake.

"Wait, what?"

.

"Who are you gonna start out with? I've already got it figured out. 'Bout time you figured it out quickly." I was still trying to decide which Pokemon would be best to start off with. I wanted to start out with Akuma, since her flame breath would beat Sammy and Yami, though she was weak to Perry and Yami. I could use Thorn, but Yami would wipe him out quite quickly. Felix would be all around alright, but I wanted to beat her quickly. Which to choose?

Groaning, I pulled out one of my Pokeballs and decided. Sarah smirked and I nodded to her.

"Felix, let's go!" The black Zorua appeared as he faced Yami. His fur bunched up as he yipped at the icy hunter, who brandished it's menacingly sharp claws. Frost began forming on the edge of the claws, and I gritted my teeth before slightly smirking. Sarah had followed my intuition and used Yami, and Felix wasn't weak to ice or dark. I quickly called for a Dark Pulse, while Sarah ordered her Sneasel into action.

Dark Pulse had a widespread area of effect, on top of being ranged, so Yami had no way of dodging. He was met with a wall of darkness, but he didn't stop. Felix was hit by a duo of frosty claws, which drew blood and made him scream in pain. I was surprised by the human-like scream, but it helped since the Sneasel hesitated from the sound.

"Grass Knot, Felix!" I knew the ability wasn't entirely battle ready, but he had some control over it. Using a strange noise and beginning to emit a dark aura as grassy vines wrapped around Yami's feet as it charged. The Sneasel was easily able to break from the first snare, but the second one caught it still. Slamming against the ground, Felix took the opportunity to bite into his enemy's back.

While Yami had been taken down, he wasn't helpless. Even face-down in the grass, he managed to knock Felix away and quickly regained his footing. In a flash, Yami swept Felix off all four feet and dug two icy claws straight into his side, almost forcing me to return him to his Pokeball. I was getting worried about the draining health gauge. Suddenly, a Dark Pulse pushed Yami back and onto the ground again while Felix dove behind a rock, out of my sight.

As Yami got closer, the illusion of the rock faded and a Dark Pulse knocked Yami back. I saw the blood dripping off Felix's side, but his health wasn't low enough for me to call him back, though I was concerned. He was eager to pounce on the icy hunter and use his dark fangs to bite into Yami, which I'd never seen before. It looked suspiciously similar to Akuma's.

Yami was quickly returned, and I returned Felix. We'd agreed to a full battle, rather than a duel, so I pulled out Akuma's Pokeball in preparation for the next Pokemon. I hoped for Sammy, since he was weak to fire and dragons, but I wouldn't doubt it if Sarah used Perry to counter Akuma.

As expected, Perry was the one facing Akuma. Breathing calmly, I focused to formulate a strategy. Something I usually didn't have to do. "Akuma, hit it with a Dragon Rage!" I knew the move hadn't been used in over a month, but I theorized that if Perry was resistant to Draconic abilities, would it resist an explosive blast?

Simple answer? No. The blast was almost killed the small Dedenne, being a small rodent of a Pokemon. Sarah gasped in surprise when Perry was launched across the field. It was good to guess it couldn't take another hit like that because Sarah immediately recalled Perry, which was quite anticlimactic. Still, it was better than I guessed would happen.

"Alright, Dragon Boy! Last Pokemon, so I guess we should finish this up, huh?" Sarah released Sammy against Akuma, but I knew this would go by quickly. And Sarah knew too, since this would be over quickly, as she said.

One Dragon Breath later, the fight was over with me as the victor. Felix and Yami was a tough match up, and I did feel bad for not giving Thorn a chance, but Akuma had done the job so well. I patted her head as I walked to Sarah, who was healing Perry with a potion.

"Good battle. The battle was close with Yami and Felix." I shook her hand and complimented her.

"You're just saying that," she groaned as she sat down in the grass. "I know that I've been falling behind in training. It sucks! I should have been training more and battling like you!" Sarah started crying, which confused me.

"Sarah, you're not a bad trainer! Look how far you've gotten without my help, so why are you saying you're weak? Just because you lost doesn't mean you should give up." Akuma made a noise before walking off towards a small tree. "Are you alright?"

"I'm... I think I'm good." Sarah took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Let's just forget about it, huh?" Picking herself up and brushing off her pants, she hid her face from me. Her breath was shaky, but she also seemed more collected now. Which was a relief for me, but I hoped it wasn't just a front.

"You ready to head back into town? We should probably check our Pokemon in to the Pokemon Center."

"You're right. Let's go. Don't worry about me." Grabbing our bags, we made our way back into Solaceon. Once we made it through the outskirts of town, we stopped at the Pokemon Center for half an hour for our teams to heal and recover. It was awkward since Sarah didn't want to talk the entire time and I didn't know what else to do. We ate a small snack from the desk, which mainly consisted of nuts and chocolate bits, but it wasn't enough to last the entire half hour. We ended up sprawling over the almost-empty seats in the lobby, with me upside-down while reading.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here," a voice from above me asked. Surprised, I dropped my Dex before falling off of my chair and landed on the ground. Looking up, Miles was standing there holding back a laugh.

"What are you doing here!? Where were you when I was discharged? We were waiting for you, messaged you, and you didn't respond." Sarah pushed Miles down into a chair while shouting at him, cutting off his escape. I picked myself off the floor and adjusted my shirt.

"Woah, I was just in the ruins outside of town. I didn't have any reception down there. I didn't get the message until I got out a little while ago!" Sarah was threatening Miles with her shoe while he tried to explain his situation. It didn't help that Miles was already struggling to relay his story. A hit from a boot wouldn't help, especially with those thick soles. Still, it made me grin from the whole scene, Miles trying to defend against a girl hitting him with her shoe.

"Fine, but you still should have invited us," Sarah settled, putting back on her boot. Miles already had a bruise forming on his cheek, but other than that he was fine. Once we got our Pokemon back, he had his cocky, yet charismatic smirk back. Even if it was slightly marred by the bruise, he seemed back to normal. The same could be said about Sarah, though she wasn't as eager to talk as before.

It was still a bit awkward while we wandered through town. I wanted to leave immediately, but Miles claimed he wasn't ready. Sarah was indifferent, having done what she'd planned on doing, but still agreed to tag along. It was better than waiting in the Pokemon Center lobby. We didn't talk much, since most of us were of contrasting opinions.

Miles seemed to be going through the same sightseeing mood that Sarah had this morning, though what I didn't understand was why he was doing this now? We'd been here for four days, and he'd been able to explore then, but now he chose to explore? No, something was fishy. Whatever he was planning, I didn't trust him still.

"Alright! We've seen it, so let's just go!" I was already impatient, and with the sunlight fading as the sun began to set, I wasn't waiting to leave.

"I'm bored too. I'm with Dragon Boy on this one."

"C'mon! This is Solaceon Town! It's not like we're in a rush to go anywhere. Just calm down and let's look around a little longer. We can leave in the morning and sleep in some comfortable beds and-" Sarah took off her boot to threaten Miles, which apparently worked. He stopped talking the second she held it up. "Alright, I get it. Let's just go back to the Pokemon Center so I can get my bag."

.

The road was much more open than the city, which was amazing. My longing for the travel life had been sated with Akuma and Felix walking beside me. Perry rode on Sarah's head and Silverwings flew above us. No one was around to bother us, and we were on our way to Hearthome. With two badges attached to my bag, I was confident enough the third badge wouldn't be too hard.

Sarah and I didn't talk much outside of town, around our small fire, but Miles was openly trying to talk to us. I was still a bit angry with Miles, but I couldn't help but answer. Akuma enjoyed her dinner of Sentret, ripping shreds off of it and generally making background noise. It was a strange sound to listen to - the sound of slurping and crunching of blood and bones.

The three of us had already had our dinner and were simply looking past the fir needles to the stars above. It was nice to see the moon, though it was already waning and getting darker. Soon enough it would be gone for a while. Sighing, I laid down on the needles and grass.

"Well, I'm going to go to my tent. See you two in the morning." Sarah tossed a branch onto the fire before walking to a small clearing to set up her shelter. She'd done it several times before, and constructing it was quick, but slightly noisier than usual as she rustled around in the grass before heading inside. Then it was quiet. Pulling out my Dex, I noticed the time.

"Sarah's right," I agreed. "It's almost midnight, so I'm going to head off to bed as well." It was my fault it was my fault anyways, having forced us to walk this far into the night. We'd lost enough time in the cities, I'd reasoned. Sarah followed without much complaint, but not much compliance either. Miles had muttered his reluctance to agree, but still followed anyways.

"... Hey, wait up," Miles called after me. "I think I've learned enough from you. It was fun, traveling with you and Sarah, but now it's time to go traveling on my own. You should be the one to tell Sarah, but I won't be here in the morning. I hope to face you again in the future. Good night." Miles nodded to me and I was left dumbfound. My bag was hanging from my hand, about to pull the tent off the back of it.

"So you're just going to leave? I don't understand. We've been traveling together for a month, and now you've had enough? Just because I don't want to waste time? We're friends, so tell me why!"

"Calm down. We're still friends, but I just want to go solo. I'll probably head back to Solaceon for a while and train for a while. I know how tough Hearthome's gym is, and I'll leave you to fight her. Still, your Deino Akuma will be a fair challenge for her." At the mention of her name, Akuma lifted her head from the Sentret's tail she was using as a pillow. "But you can go to bed. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I have your PokeDex number, so I'll message you sometime later. Besides, I feel bad for moving in on your girl. I should give you a chance first."

"But-"

"I'll see you later. Just go to bed." I couldn't respond to Miles' goodbye, even if it wasn't much of a goodbye. Sobering up, I nodded and opened my tent. Akuma wandered over and nudged her way inside. I crawled in as well, before using the Sentret's tail and wiping the blood off her face before laying down onto my sleeping bag. While I was thinking, I closed my eyes. Quickly after, I fell asleep and passed into my dreams.

.

Sleep wasn't the easiest for me, since my dreams weren't the nicest ones I'd had in a while. Even with Akuma sleeping next to me, I kept tossing and turning. Every time I woke up, I couldn't remember what was in my dreams, but it was enough to shake me out of sleep. Akuma didn't do much, but sniffed around before going back to sleep. Following her example, I laid back down and tried to sleep until sunrise.

The final time I woke up was some time around five, when the sun rose from the opposite side of the mountains than I was used to. Light lit up my tent through the trees and I stepped out into the sunlight, leaving Akuma to continue sleeping. Yellow and bright, I watched the sun rise above the treetops. I couldn't tell what I'd been dreaming about, but it helped me forget about it all. Relaxing was easier than mulling over it.

Looking around, I couldn't find a trace of Miles. He really was gone. He'd gone back to Solaceon, just as he'd said. Sighing, I closed my eyes and laid back. So this is how it's gonna be, huh? I passed from sleep to awake and back a few times in the grass, until I felt someone prodding my cheek.

Groaning as I opened my eye. Sarah was sitting next to me with her foot pressing into my face. As soon as I realized her nail was against me, I backed away in disgust. "Morning, sleeping beauty. Get enough rest there?" Sitting up, I groggily greeted Sarah while rubbing my cheek.

"I bet you slept better than I did. What time is it anyways?" The sun had risen considerably since I'd come out here, but not as high as I expected.

"It's almost nine. Better get up soon, or we'll never make it to Hearthome. And where did Miles go? I can't find him around the camp, and his Pokemon aren't around. Do you know?" I turned to the grass and started pulling up a few blades. "You do know, don't you."

"He said he's gone back to Solaceon. That we'd know why once we got to Hearthome, whatever that means. I don't know why he left though. He didn't tell me exactly." Yawning, I stood up and stretched. I turned to my tent and peeked inside, Akuma still snoozing away.

"Well, that explains it." Sarah mumbled while picking at the grass. She sounded disappointed, but she was also too quiet to tell. Waking up Akuma, I pulled her out of the tent before collapsing it. Packing it into my bag while Akuma went back to sleep, I noticed Sarah still sitting there. I got the clue, and it stung a little. So she liked him a bit and he was gone now.

Sighing, I knew this would be difficult. Ever since the first moment Miles met Sarah, when he kissed her, I knew he would leave a mark on her. The moment when Sarah kissed me was replaying, but she didn't remember that. She'd passed out and lost the memory of that, making Miles the only one to have made a move on her. Sitting down next to Akuma and Sarah, I laid a hand on the Dragon's fur and leaned against Sarah's shoulder.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sarah moved back out of surprise, making me nearly fall into her lap. I caught myself and looked up at the blue sky.

"You seemed like you were thinking, so I wanted to know what it was. And I was a bit tired. You about ready to go?" A rough rub to Akuma's back woke her up and she let out a loud yawn, before standing and stretching. Sarah followed suit and nodded, with me last to stand.

We had to spend a few more minutes to pack up, but soon we were back on the route with Sammy and Akuma walking with us. My PokeDex buzzed along the way, but I knew what it meant. I ignored Miles' messages and set my Dex to silent. It was strangely quiet without Miles, as if something was missing from our group. I didn't know what to say, and Sarah wasn't talking much either, but it was also peaceful. The sounds of nature filled our travels, much like before, and the trees were also much prettier as lighter green needles grew from the tips.

I stopped us past two for a short training session, which mainly consisted in our Pokemon honed their attacks against the trees and dirt. While Sarah didn't join in, I also did exercises beside Akuma. It was kept to just over an hour, but I felt progress was made. My skin had a slightly sweat to it and I was forced to take off my coat for once, due to the warm April sun.

"Woah, I don't remember you with this much muscle," Sarah commented, poking my chest. Embarrassed about her noticing, I tried to hide it. "C'mon, it's cool! There's no need to hide it. You're not a girl."

"Sorry, but I didn't really want you to notice. I've just been training with my Pokemon a lot, especially during your hospital time. It's not something I'm proud of, though."

"Why not," Sarah questioned while pulling my hands away. "This much muscle in only four days? What'd you do, take steroids?" My arms were a bit thicker and my chest showed progress as well, though I'd much rather not show. I grabbed my coat after training and laid it over my shoulders. It wasn't the best cover, but it worked for now.

"I've been this muscular before, and I just had to work a little to bring myself back. Farming isn't light work, so I've had to be strong enough to help." I stopped the story short of entertaining or depth, but I got the point it wasn't important. Returning Thorn and calling to Felix and Akuma, we started off on the road again.

Sarah tried to bring up my body again, trying to figure out why I'd exercised like that. What I told her was the bare minimum I could think up, not wanting to tell it was for her. We continued like this for several more hours, until dinner. Akuma, Yami, and Felix quickly procured their meals, bringing enough scraps for the two humans to enjoy a nicely cooked soup. I also managed to find a Pecha berry bush, with Perry's help, of course. With that, I tried to make a drink with a few, but mostly made a mess of myself. Tasted the same, just with stickier hands.

"Here you go, some stew and Pecha juice... In a totally-not-makeshift cup. Mahlzeit!" It was a good meal, though the soup was a little bland without flour and special spices. The salt mostly compensated, with a sharper taste. After the meal, and a few minutes of rest, we decided on training. It lasted longer than earlier and I got Sarah to join in with pushups, even if she wasn't as strong. I passed her score of 22 in a minute with a highscore of 59. She didn't like the defeat, but didn't do much else than make a few remarks, like me being a simple muscle head.

Nearly two weeks past the same, with the same regiment of Breakfast, Walk, Training, Walk, Dinner, Training, and Sleep, without any challenges, though there were a few who presented "challenges". It was a pair of girls who gave us the most trouble. And they both were very pretty, making it a difficult encounter.

"Watch out!" A voice from above called. I felt something collide with me and another something wrapped around my neck and I almost lost balance. "Oh, thank you for saving us. Here, sir, as thanks." Just as I was looking down, two girl pecked my cheeks before hopping off me. Akuma was not in the least bit pleased about their attack on me and bared her teeth at the new strangers and growled deeply.

"What's going on-" Sarah was cut off by the two girls, both fluffing their hair in unison. They seemed to have rehearsed their act pretty well, because they went through a whole choreographed dance.

"We! Challenge! You!" Each word was emphasized by a dance step, ending with two fingers pointed at me. They ignored Sarah, who was standing next to me. Akuma didn't take the shouting well, and roared at the girls, making them shrink away slightly.

"You could have said that from the beginning. You're wasting my time." Brushing against Akuma's faux horn, she followed me while I moved to walk past the girls.

"Don't you know, like, who we are!? We're the dancing twins, Marla and Kate! We challenged you, so let's fight!" Looking back at them, I saw they were twins, but their outfits were more flashy than useful.

"You seem weak, if all you've been doing it practicing dance moves. No thanks." Walking again, Sarah ran to catch up, glaring at the girls for not saying a thing to her. I don't what she thought about the kisses, but she didn't say anything. She didn't get a chance to.

Two Pokemon appeared behind us and announced their presence before charging us. Looking back, I was just in time to see Akuma meeting with a Luxray and a Kirlia. Seeing the Luxray, I froze in place, the memories of Stein in my head. It wasn't fear. It was rage.

"Akuma! Dragon's Breath! Attack the Luxray!" While she probably didn't recognize what luxray was, it was the closest target and she opened her maw to breath on the large feline. My anger was probably noticed by Sarah, who released Sammy to help, but I held out my hand to stop her. "This is my fight."

Akuma was outnumbered, even if the Kirlia couldn't do much to her. The Luxray alone didn't anger me much. It was the way it attacked, a sneak attack from behind. It's presence made my neck tingle, like a needle was hovering right over it. As I watched, Akuma was being quickly overpowered by the electric cat.

"It's a double battle, you know? You can, like, use two Pokemon at a time, dummy!" Two, huh? Grabbing Thorn's pokeball, I released him against the Kirlia. In the back of my mind, I knew it was a bad idea, but I was angry. I didn't care. It was an almost immediate loss. Akuma was left as a close victor, but the Luxray was still standing with burns while she was unable to rise. Thorn was left with half his purple blood taken straight from his body and pooled around him.

"Good battle, but you definitely, like, uh, need some more skill. Get good or something." Scowling at them both, I threw them a chunk of my fresh cash before returning Akuma and Thorn. The latter's health was much worse than the former's, but they both needed rest. I didn't say a thing more to the girls as I marched ths other way.

"Hey, wait up! We, like, didn't get your number!" The twins ran after us, but I didn't do a thing. I continued on my way. "Fine, we'll give our numbers! Here, take our card." A sharp card pressed to my back and I grabbed the arm. I nearly threw the girl over my shoulder, but I resisted the urge.

"Ow, that hurts," Marla said, trying to pull her arm back. Letting go, she stumbled back and her sister Kate caught her. With them quickly walking away from me, I smirked at my success. Still, I'd lost, which bit into me hard. I didn't like it, so during the next training session that evening, I worked myself hard with Felix, while Thorn rested and Akuma took it easy.

When I fell asleep that night, the encounted drew up old memories I'd thought I'd buried. The dreams of my old Geodude had stopped, but now they seemed to be making a vengeance rerun. In the middle of the night, I woke up in a sweat, only to fall back to sleep again. By morning, I was still tired, but Sarah took over the job of waking me up. At least it wasn't a foot to the face.

The state of the route was clear enough to tell us it wasn't far until Hearthome. What that meanr was more frequent challenges, this time earning me more losses than wins. It was depressing, as most leaving were third badge or higher, as well as a drain on my wallet. Still, Akuma worked hard against the Pokemon.

"You need to calm down," Sarah commented after one of my battles, hers having gone much smoother. "You could have won that if you'd remembered to use Thunder Wave to paralyze it and finished up with few Dark Pulses. Now that Akuma can use Dark Pulse and Grass Knot, it should be much easier. Just calm down and use your head." Thinking about it, I tried to think about the match, what could have happened, and had to admit she was correct. But I'd always been calm, so why were these strategies so easy to forget?

"I'll remember that, so thanks Sarah." Getting up, I tried to work with the strategy she'd suggested in my head against other types of Pokemon, but what about other factors? Akuma was mainly a brute force type of Pokemon, not ranged or sneaky as Felix. It limited any sort of flanking and distance fighting, as Akuma couldn't see. The only problem was putting it into use.

Training was harder than it had been, as I was both tryong to gear up for the third gym battle, as well as develop strategies to counter ghost types while Sarah trained on her own in the trees. I didn't know what she was doing, but she said it was something she wanted to practice in private. I could respect that, since I was also trying to develop my own move sets.

Akuma was ordered to practice her Grass Know ability, as she was still the worst at using the move. She also practiced her Thunder Wave and Dark Pulse, which she finally learned, though Felix was still the master of the move. He could use it with much more skill and precision than Akuma, but it was an addition for Akuma to be able to use another Dark type move. Thorn was ordered to practice using Razor Leaf and ranged attack, while Felix showed me his best illusions, minus the nausea.

The ability of the small Zorua's ability to fool the eyes was incredible. He was able to create a realistic army of Deinos, as well as mimic parts of the forest, creating a trio of trees, though they were all mirror images. He was also able to disguise himself fairly well, blending into his illusion to become almost invisible, though there are times when either his tail or ears would be forgotten and show through the illusion.

By the time the sun set, I believed I'd made progress in my strategy against the third gym, which was bound to have ghost types aplenty. My Deino and Zorua would have no trouble defeating them, but I didn't want to take any chances. It was a gym, after all.

Four days were spent training up for the gym before we made it to Hearthome. Even before we made it into town, the lights showed the size of the city from miles away. The bright glow of the lights made it look like the city never slept, even in the middle of the night. Akuma seemed to know what was going on, with the training and traveling, as she was hyped up for every battle every time I let out our battle cry.

Encounters with trainers became more frequent, and while I still made some money from my battles, they were difficult. None were as dramatic as Marla and Kate, but they were very skilled, with three or more badges on their collars or belts. There was one who had nine badges, two from the Kanto region, though he didn't want to fight seriously and let me keep my money when I lost. Our journey became slower as we were stopped for more battles, sometimes getting more than two dozen a day and even passing some up, but we still progressed with breaks for short training sessions.

As soon as we entered into Hearthome, Sarah and I were left speechless. The capital of Sinnoh was huge, sprawling to be much larger than either Jubilife or Celesitic City had been. Cafes, bars, and stores galore, the streets packed with crowds and cars the closer we got to the center of the city. Several people were yelling, though it was mostly just a cacophony of voices.

Due to the strict policies, there were less Pokemon with people to attempt to minimize the overcrowding, but there were still several Pokemon on shoulders, on street lamps, beside people, and in the sky. The city not only attracted humans, but Pokemon weak enough to escape danger. It was a struggle to get around people, but soon we were part of the crowd, walking along towards the Pokemon Center.

"Why is it so busy here," Sarah almost yelled over the din. We pushed past other people, who were also pushing, to get closer to the Pokemon Center. With Sarah leading the way with her Dex, we were heading in a fairly straight line as Sarah aggressively created her path. I followed closely, though I was elbowed several times by strangers and annoyed trainers trying to go... somewhere.

Pushing past a bunch of people, I caught an arm to the face. Stumbling, I angrily looked up to see a ranger, along with three other incapacitated people. My fury faded to a smolder while I respected the League authority they held. Backing away and standing down was the most I could do to protect my own self and Pokemon. The threat of the League symbol was enough to make my breath catch in my throat.

When the Ranger passed, I had to run through the crowds to catch up with Sarah, who hadn't waited up for me. The ones I pushed around usually yelled at me, but no one punched me like the Ranger had. She barely noticed me as we entered into the crowded Pokemon Center, with so many others around. I was beginning to feel almost claustrophobic from the large crowds, which rarely thinned.

"Sarah, wait up!" I caught her sleeve to stop her from getting closer to the counter. "I don't think we're going to have much luck here. There are too many people here for anything. I doubt we'd get a room, much less a meal or healing." Since our Pokemon weren't badly injured, even if wounded, I wanted to opt for going without. "Let's register for our fights first, then we can worry about the healing and rooms."

"...Yeah, you're probably right. Still, right now would be a great time for a Psychic Pokemon to just teleport us around, rather than these other people." The thought of teleporting sent shivers down my spine. The memory of the feeling of being compressed didn't make the idea much better. As convenient as it was, I would rather take the crowds than that feeling.

"A flying Pokemon works too, though I would like to take something larger to scare people out of the way, rather than push them. Maybe when Akuma has grown into a Hydreigon or something?"

"I like that idea. You're a smart guy after all, then? C'mon and let's go already, Genius Dragon Boy." Pushing again, we moved aside people as we exited the Pokemon Center. As we moved towards the Gym, I noticed more Rangers and less people. Walking became faster when we didn't have to create a path, and we made it to our destination pretty quickly, quicker than we had the Pokemon Center.

The Hearthome Gym was a just as open about it's style as Oreburgh and Eterna, modeled after a Gothic cathedral, complete with spires and bells. The doors weren't as large as Oreburgh's, but were still quite impressive. I'd seen several battles take place in this stadium, being in the capital, the largest city in all of Sinnoh. As the fanboy I was, it was the most logical thing to do.

"Hey! Stop gawking at it and let's go. It's just a building, remember?" Grabbing my arm, Sarah forcefully dragged me with her. I was surprised there weren't more trainers, like there were in the Pokemon Center. It was a long like, sure, but it was nothing like I'd expected. Why was everyone at the Poke Center in the first place, like the crowds in the Oreburgh's Center?

"Now this is more like it," Sarah taunted the air. Waiting in line was fine enough, but it was the fact that there wasn't a battle going on that made everything seem strange. Was the gym leader missing? Ever since Vortex announced themselves, everything had been getting progressively worse. Just what was their goal, and how were they so dangerous? I just couldn't make any sense of it.

"Hey, hey! Pay attention, I'm trying to talk to you, you know?"

"Huh? Oh, I was just trying to think."

"Well no duh. I could see that. But still, I was trying to talk to you. What do you think we should do after we register? And don't you think it's just a tad too quiet for gym? Where's all the crowds and stuff?"

"Exactly what I was thinking about. Do you think something is going on or do you think it's Vortex again? Stuff like that."

"I really hate you now. Why are you asking the same question as me!?" Moving up the line, Sarah didn't talk to me any more than she had to. I wasn't very interested in my thoughts to really answer anyways, trying to figure out what would require a gym leader to come to the scene.

As I stepped up to the counter, a loud alarm came from my pocket, as well as from almost every trainer in the Gym. Groaning, I took my Dex out and read the message on the screen. Text reading Alert flashed with the message in red text. Tapping it, I dismissed the message telling us to report immediately.

While I knew the penalties of refusing a summons, but who could blame me if I was going by foot? No one would know if I wasted 5 more minutes. I walked up to the counter and asked for a match for my badge. The process was quick, me talking fast as trainers moved to get out of the Gym. With the lady confirming my PokeDex, I was promptly passed the touch pad to select my chosen registered Pokemon of Deino, Zorua, Roselia, and Pachirisu. I was surprised to see Pachirisu on the list, but I remembered that I actually had one.

"Hey, what was that about, the noise?" Sarah tapped my shoulder quickly to get my attention.

"What, you didn't get the message?" I looked around her, but she didn't have her PokeDex out or ringing. Why were they calling me and not Sarah? This didn't make sense. "It was orders, a Trainer's duty, to report to the Ranger station on Route 212, but I don't know for what. Maybe it's about the Vortex guys?" Turning back to my team, I selected Akuma, Felix, and Thorn. I would have to deal with my Pachirisu later, but after my duty was fulfilled.

"Well, why are you still registering?" I paid the 2000Pb and nodded to Sarah.

"What are you talking about? Anyways, I'll see you later. Register and... I don't know. I'll message you after it!" Breaking out into a run, I bolted out of the Gym and out onto the street. It was easy enough to find my way down towards the southern Route, especially with an unexpected lack of people like in the eastern side. Off of the main streets, the city was more barren than Floaroma's streets. Running in the road was nothing without cars.

"Trainer, are you on your way to the station for the alert?!" Stopping, I turned to see another Ranger on a huge Charizard, his accent thick and almost foreign, but still Sinnoan. "Well, are you?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Get on. I'll take you to the operation. And quickly now, or we'll both be reported for abandoning our posts." Nodding, I climbed into the saddle behind the Ranger and secured my legs to the strange metallic bindings. "Better hold onto your lunch, kid," the Ranger warned before we rocketed into the sky. The wind raced past my ears like a roar and my neck strained to hold my head steady.

As sudden as the drake took off, the Charizard leveled out and we shot south. The wind was still making my eyes tear, but since gravity wasn't trying to tear my head off, I felt better about it, though my neck stung.

"Kid, you alright? You can let go of me." My ears were still adjusting to the higher altitude, but I noticed my hands gripping the Ranger's shoulders. I quickly let go and held onto the saddle instead. "First time, huh?"

"Yeah. Never even been in an airplane." I felt my legs shaking in their bindings, and probably against the Charizard. My nerves probably showed, because the Ranger simply laughed.

"Don't worry, kid. The airport is nothing compared to flying. Real flying is much better. And, when you get a flying Pokemon, get a good saddle as well, kid." The Charizard hummed with agreement. "Alright." The red-scaled dragon suddenly shot towards the ground suddenly and nearly gave me even worse whiplash. Like an earthquake, we landed and I almost bit my tongue. The shock wave was enough to make my vision go dark for a second.

"Sergeant Williams, reporting for duty, sir." Regaining my vision, I released my legs and slid to the ground before stumbling. "I'm sorry I'm late. I stopped to give this trainer a lift to the outpost. Please excuse my actions, but he seemed in need." The sergeant saluted the other officer, who looked to be a higher rank. Looking at his insignia, I noted he was a Major.

"Don't worry about it, Sergeant. Now, young man. Go join the other trainers. Your orders will be given shortly. The rest of the trainers... Those that don't make it will be left out of the orientation." I nodded to the Ranger and looked around the clearing, near the small Ranger outpost. About two dozen other trainers were milling around with their Pokemon. Some looked fairly tough, as well as older, but also had larger Pokemon than mine.

Following their example, I wandered towards them and released Felix to walk with me. He was only slightly scraped up after his battle early this morning, but the worst was only a bruise or a minor cut. No one really approached me, so I mainly kept to myself. I searched up news on Team Vortex. Not much else was mentioned, other than what I already knew. Whatever they were doing, no one was reporting it as of yet.

"Alright, everyone," the Major called out to us. "Everyone here is to split up into five groups, A through E. I don't care who's on which team, just make sure all of you can fight. And make sure all of you have your Pokemon prepared. Let's move out, and figure out your teams on the way!" Running at a fair pace, the team of five Rangers following. All of us fell into a run into a march behind them.

"Hey, you with the Zorua. Wanna team up with us?" Glancing over, I noticed two boys and a girl in a group. They seemed to have a fair team, with a Quilava, a floating Metang, and two Buizel. Nodding, I followed with them towards our goal. Along the way, they invited four more team members before the rest were already grouped up.

"Everyone, stop!" The Rangers grouped up with us, with the Sergeant Williams releasing his Charizard and a Krookodile. Both lizards roared before Williams mounted up and rushed off into the woods. Each group collected and we stood with our Pokemon. "Now, we don't have long before battle! Group A, group B, group C, group D, group E!" The Major pointed at each of us, my group labeled as B. "We're tasked with stopping the criminals of Vortex and arresting them before they can make it to Hearthome! Form in a Wall formation to stop them, and use all of your Pokemon to stop them! Move out, A to the east, E to the west, and the rest of you fill in the gaps! Grant and I will take center with Kanna and Armin taking the flanks! Williams has already gone ahead, so follow his example!"

Pulling out Akuma and Thorn's pokeballs and released both, Akuma roaring at the sound of so many other Pokemon around. Several other Pokemon appeared from out group, as well as the others, even with our group having the least amount of trainers. The diversity seemed to have great coverage, by my count with our group having 27 Pokemon in our group.

"Yo, is that a Deino? Oh my Arceus, that's an actual Deino! By Dialga that's crazy, man." One of the guys from another group came over and started freaking out over Akuma.

"That puny dragon?" A man from my own group swaggered up with his Pokemon. "Ha! My Sceptile, Cleopatra, is much better than a young dragon like this. Show 'em, Cleo." The large leafy lizard let out a large jet of blue flames, exactly like Akuma's Dragon Breath. What surprised me was the fact that a grass Pokemon was breathing fire, but from the fact it was also a lizard, it almost made sense that it shared some of their abilities.

"Oh, c'mon! That Deino is at least a whole meter tall! And it's a real dragon! What can beat that?"

"Hey! All groups, move out! Stop chatting and start fighting!" The Major charged out into the trees with his Pokemon. Spreading out, our group took a more eastern station, with C in the center with the Major and the Ranger named Grant. Akuma and Felix ran with me, while I was careful while carrying Thorn. I didn't need to be hospitalized today, so I kept my fingers away from his namesakes.

"Better keep up, Deino Boy," the smug Sceptile man called to me as he raced past on an Arcanine. "We don't need some wimp like you to slow us down, so make sure you don't fall behind." His Sceptile and an electric hound bounded beside him as he laughed on his flaming dog before bolting forward, leaving me and another boy in the dust. Putting on some more speed, I tried to catch up.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a man dropped out of the trees and landed in front of me, causing me to drop Thorn. His ashen grey suit blended in pretty well with the bland leaves, except for a white tornado in the shape of a triangle. The symbol of Vortex. A shiver ran down my spine before I realized what was going on.

From the sides, a Noctowl and Crobat swooped down from the tree tops. Shouting for my Pokemon, Akuma and Thorn countered the two flying Pokemon with leaves and a Dark Pulse while Felix rushed the Vortex grunt. At first, it looked like the match was over before it really got started, with both Pokemon distracted while Felix took on the grunt. That it, until the man delivered a hearty uppercut to my Zorua.

I was shocked to see the man move so quickly, fast enough to counter my dark fox. Felix fell to the dirt and received a boot to the side. Anger flowed through me as I ran forward to save my Zorua, not bothering to look at my other Pokemon. It wasn't until an electric arc connected with the man that I realized my ally was here with me.

"Recall your Zorua, you deal with the Noctowl and Crobat! I can handle him." The boy had a Raichu and a Lombre on his side, both teaming up on the electrified Vortex member. My ally ran up to the man and punched him in the jaw before I could do much. Doing as I was told, I recalled Felix and turned back to the Noctowl and Crobat.

"Akuma, Dragons Breath, Thunder Wave, and Dark Pulse the Noctowl! Thorn, use Absorb and Razor Leaf!" Taking out my knife, I waited for an opportunity to join into the fray. Striking first would most likely injure my own Pokemon, but late would most likely miss.

Akuma went to work with the Noctowl, using her Thunder Wave to knock it out of the sky before slamming into it to deliver a close-range Dark Pulse. Thorn was not so lucky. The Crobat was extremely adept in its element, dodging and attacking without missing a beat. Again, my Roselia was injured and torn. Until Akuma finished the Noctowl, my orders were to endure and dodge.

A few Dark Pulses and Dragons Breaths later, the Noctowl was unable to move, much less fly. I had to stop Akuma from taking a bite out of the bird, instead turning her towards the Crobat still attacking Thorn. She immediately rushed to aid Thorn, allowing me to return to the Vortex trainer.

"Sorry, didn't leave you much to do here," my ally smirked. His Lombre had formed a planty binding on the man's hands. The Raichu occasionally poked him with it's tail and probably continued to shock him.

"Less work for me, I guess. Good job."

"Not bad yourself. And you got the next one." Turning back to my own Pokemon, the Crobat was still causing trouble. "Help them out, Charlie." The Raichu instantly leaped into the air and sent an electric arc into the four-winged bat. It immediately dropped from the air and didn't move. Searching the man, the Lombre gave his trainer the two Pokeballs. The kid recalled the two flying Pokemon before Akuma could get a bite.

"I think you should stick with me. You might have some skill, but your Pokemon are not strong enough handle this. What's your name?" The other trainer typed rapidly on his PokeDex while he talked.

"My name is Kael. Yours?"

"Kaden. The Rangers will be here shortly, so sit tight, Kael." I checked Felix' pokeball, but his health had only gone down to 65%. Releasing him, I called over my other Pokemon as well. "You've got a pretty good team there, though. Have you beat the Hearthome Gym yet?"

"Huh? Oh, not yet. I just registered before they called the alert."

"I see. I was just visiting my parents before the alert. It's actually my second call, so I've done this before." Looking up, I saw a Fearow coming towards us. Landing with a thud, the Ranger hopped off and immediately detained the man with real handcuffs. He was then promptly picked up by the bird and the Ranger was gone.

"Man, I wish I could be a Ranger," I muttered. "C'mon, Kaden. Let's go catch us a bad guy."

"That sounded lame, like movies lame." Following, we rushed off to find another foe to fight.

.

As it turned out, enemies were not hard to find. With a few wild Pokemon among the enemies, it was slow to progress. In total, Kadem and I fought four Vortex trainers and two wild Pokemon. The Pachirisu and Wooper were simply in the way, and Akuma enjoyed the small snack.

Most of the trainers we faced were fairly tough, but I was able to hold my own, my knife proving its usefulness. Of all Pokemon we faced, it was the four trainer that presented a challenge. When an Aerodactyl dove down and carried Felix off, I knew there was trouble.

A pokeball will return its inhabitant with a press of the button. It also acted as a sort of gun, requiring aim. With a moving enemy and a small target, hitting Felix would have been a miracle. But even with the laser guide, I was too late. The Aerodactyl had already dropped him.

When he hit the ground, I saw Felix bounce a full thirty centimeters. He let out a loud yelp before lying still. The best I could do was return him this pokeball, now that he wasn't moving. Anger took me again and I looked up to the Aerodactyl, but another electrical arc jumped between Charlie and the source of my rage.

"Can't have you losing your head just yet," Kaden called out to me, the Vortex trainer locked into a headlock. "Focus on the mission first, emotions second! A Ranger told me that. Now, night-night for you, Mr. Vortex." The man slumped to the side, passed out from the lack of oxygen and blood. With that, the two Growlithe and the Aerodactyl disappeared into their pokeballs.

"Thanks," I said, waiting for the Ranger to arrest the man. It was a bit awkward, sitting with only Akuma, Thorn having also taken some serious damage. After the hour of fighting, Akuma was the only one still ready for another. Still, she was injured and probably getting tired. She'd never had to fight like this before.

"Hey, how's it going?" A woman from behind me poked me in the back. Almost jumping out of my skin, I drew my knife and Akuma also assumed a battle stance. "Woah, woah. I'm just here to surrender. I've followed my orders and now I surrender."

While the woman wasn't exactly attractive, she was holding up her arms in submission. Her tight grey jumpsuit betrayed her as a Vortex member, but she didn't have a weapon or Pokemon around her. I dropped my guard just a fraction.

"Hold on," Kaden spoke up, his Lombre and Raichu still prepared to attack. Akuma let out a low grumbling, making me the only one not ready to fight. "We just can't trust anyone in a Vortex uniform. What's your game?"

"What, would you prefer it if I stripped and went naked. You're a fucking pervert, kid." She shifted from foot to foot, waiting for a response. "Fine, I'll comply." Following a zipping noise, the woman began to peel the suit from her body.

"Wait! You don't need to do that." The woman smirked before pulling it back on. "We will detain you. Akuma, Grass Knot her legs and arms." Using her draconic power, Akuma was able to manipulate the trees around us and two thick roots tied themselves around her ankles and wrists. She was essentially tied to a tree with that.

"Good choice, huh? C'mon, we coulda seen a real woman! Why'd you have to be a good cop?" Kaden pushed me around, in a joking way. The familiar sound of wings became louder until a Ranger on a Pidgeot landed.

"Two of them? I'd received a report of only one criminal."

"We can wait with this one," Kaden suggested, but the Ranger ignored him.

"My Pokemon can carry both, but I have only one set of cuffs. While crude, and messy, the woman still comes with me." Using his knife, the Ranger sliced the roots before pulling out a small bottle. He opened it and held it to her face and she immediately passed out, to my surprise. He easily picked her up and carried the woman to his Pidgeot before handcuffing the man. As quickly as he arrived, the Ranger left on his bird.

A strange noise suddenly sounded. "Hey, check your Dex!" Kaden whipped out his Dex and looked at the measage on it. Doing the same, I saw it as well. "C'mon, Kael. We should get back to the outpost."

.

"They all suddenly surrendered or fled? Why would they do that? It's bad enough with Leader Eillo out on business in Mt. Coronet, but why suddenly abandon their assault?" I was close enough to hear the Rangers as they contemplated the sudden retreat from my small little bush. It was mostly the Major fuming about their loss, kicking dirt and huffing. I almost felt lonely without Kaden, but we had traded numbers and promised to meet up later for a drink. Now I was just trying to get any information I could.

"Well, they might have figured that they didn't bave enough for the assault and simply regroup. We should remain stationed her until Leader Eillo can deal with this. It's all we can do to simply arrest them and hold them in cells. Any decisions are Eillo's to make."

"No, acting now will catch them by surprise. If we send one or two scouts, we can catch them on their way to their hideout and catch them all."

"Major, I know you're the boss here, but we can't do this without Leader Eillo's permission." By this point, I moved out of my eavesdropping spot. They just went back and forth, hardly saying a thing. Maybe the Rangers weren't so cool after all, if they had to deal with all that bureaucracy. I grabbed my bag and headed back towards Hearthome to meet up with Sarah again.

.

"You forgot this," Sarah said, handing me a small paper card. Taking it, I saw it was actually a note, explaining why my battle was basically postponed for an entire week, showing the date as the second of May. I then sat down at her cafe table and picked up the menu. It wasn't very fancy, which was just my wallet's style.

"Thanks. What'd I miss?"

"You know that's what I was gonna say!" Sarah stomped and grumbled. "But not much. I've been exploring Hearthome, which is absolutely huge, for the past three hours without you, but it was pretty boring. What about you?"

"It was alright. It was mostly just battling and stuff. We were just trying to stop some Pokemon." I didn't want to worry her more than I needed to. She didn't need to know about my fights with the Vortex guys. Still, she might find out later, but for now she'd be fine without knowing. "Waitress! I'll take a cup of coffee. Extra sugar, please?"

* * *

 **That's a good place to end it. I do hope you all enjoyed it, especially with the curse scene and real combat against the evil Vortex members. Honestly, the name Vortex came from my friends and it sorta fits. They're the Vortexis while Kanto has to deal with the Meteors in nine years. Totally works.**

 **I should also appologize if I was moving a bit too fast at parts, I'm still trying to find a proper speed. It's all just personal and literary experimentation.**

 **Next chapter, we'll find out the whole truth, I promise, so stay keep a sharp eye out, huh? Anyways, I hope you'll leave a review and tell me where I messed up and what you enjoyed. It honestly helps me out, knowing you're still sticking with me.**

 **Current Pokemon**

 **Trainer: Kael Lorano; SI863FL239**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Akuma - Deino

Thorn - Roselia

Felix - Zorua

 **Pokemon in Preparation:**

Fuzzball - Pachirisu

 **Trainer: Sarah O'Perr;** **SI772SP8HN**

 **Pokemon in Possession:**

Perry - Dedenne

Yami - Sneasel

Sammy - Shroomish


End file.
